Andocsi Nagyboldogasszony Bazilika

Information about the pilgrimage site

Andocs 1350 is an enthusiastic village in Somogy county, south of Lake Balaton, on the Tihany-Szántód-Kaposvár route, 25 km from Szántód. It was already inhabited before the Tatar invasion. 1332-37. it is also listed in the papal tithe list of 2008, when it already had a parish. In 1390, the name was Andach. In the tax census of 1536, we find three villages with this name next to each other. Ecclesiastical Andocs, Chapel or Small Andocs, and finally Noble Andocs. Egyházas and Kápolnás or Kis Andocs were destroyed during the Turkish occupation. Their inhabitants merged with the inhabitants of the more protected Nemes Andocs.

The story of the Andosian shrine begins in this difficult period of Hungarian history. Father Miklós Horváth, who served here from 1665-81, was a great personality of the mission. The chapel has a very rich he obtained farewells from the Holy See, and in a few years he developed the shrine into the most significant pilgrimage shrine in Western Hungary. Among his companions, we find János P. Kőrösi, who died with him in the Győr plague in 1681 – and from 1673, István P. Kerskényi. His former partners were: János P. Berkai and Miklós P. Blaskovics.

The Andocs chapel was already a place of pilgrimage visited during the Turkish subjugation, but especially since 1665. When the Franciscan fathers moved to Andocs, the old tradition was revived, and in a short time it became the spiritual center of the entire region. With the construction of the monastery complex and the church, he was able to meet the requirements of the farewell tour. On the feasts of Mary, St. Francis and St. Anthony, the faithful visited the shrine by the thousands. A guide published in 1929 lists 13 farewell days, from Maundy Thursday to the Feast of Our Lady of the Hungarians.

The The interior of the church is one of the famous attraction at this site When the Franciscan fathers settled in Andocs in 1716, they found a Gothic chapel built in the 15th century, a worn altar, and three wooden statues on the altar, the statues of the Blessed Virgin, Saint Catherine and Saint Dorothy. According to experts, the grace statue is at least five hundred years old. The Blessed Virgin holds the baby Jesus in her right arm, both heads are adorned with crowns. The old altar was replaced by the current Baroque altar in 1746 as a donation from Ádám Zichy. Four more statues were placed on the main altar: the Hungarian kings St. Stephen and St. László, as well as the statue of St. Francis, the founder of the Franciscan order, and here we also find the masterpiece depicting St. Anthony of Padua.

It is also worth visiting the museum of Mary’s clothes. The grace statues have been dressed since 1747. Countess Katalin Széchenyi presented the first mantle to the statue, and many others followed her example. In November 2000, the statue had 240 clothes. These are stored in two rooms on the ground floor – the museum of Mária’s clothes. Our address can be found in the Landscapes, Ages, Museums catalog. We have commemorative stamps for tourists. We are also present on the Internet.

The clothes are all votive objects and gifts. There are many works of folk art among them, at the moment we only accept such works. You can find here clothes from the United States, Venezuela, and even China, which were Buddhist temple clothes and were adapted here to the size of the grace statue. Each dress is on the grace statue for two weeks. Their color adapts to the colors of the liturgy. The dressing of the grace statue is on Friday morning. We open the museum for our visitors at any time and are happy to show them around.

Finally, we must remember the legend surrounding Andocs, according to which, before the disaster in Mohács, around 1520, angels brought the prayer chapel from Kalocsa one night, together with the miracle-working Mary statue, and placed it in its current location. This oral tradition is still alive today both in Kalocs and Andocs. The people of Kalocsa still consider the chapel and the statue of grace as their own, and for that reason every year for 300 years, led by their pastors, they have been making a pilgrimage to “Our Lady”. In addition to the people of Kalocsa, the pilgrimage of the people of Székesfehérvár has been repeated regularly for 176 years. They come on the first Sunday of September. Both groups of pilgrims for centuries He piled many votive gifts to the church and statue in Andocs.

Tourist attractions in the vicinity

Igali Thermal Spa – one of the oldest baths in Southern Transdanubia, with a history of over 60 years, welcoming guests seeking relaxation and healing throughout the year. The spa features 13 pools, including children’s and thermal pools, each equipped with various amenities to enhance the experience of the bathers.

Szólád Limestone Wine Cellar Row – uniquely 125 registered wine cellars carved into limestone walls in Europe. The wine cellar row enjoys special protection, with Dr. L. Szabó Tünde, the late chief architect of Somogy, playing an active role in its protection, preservation, and promotion. In 1999, the limestone wine cellar row was awarded the Henry Ford Prize, drawing attention from the national media. The “Limestone Wine Cellar Row Wine Festival” attracts more and more visitors to the hinterland of Lake Balaton every year.

Rádpuszta Gastronomic Experience Estate and the former Festetics Manor Equestrian Center – traditional tavern, Hungarian wines, a stunning event hall, and unique equestrian programs near Lake Balaton – for a memorable leisure experience.

Zamárdi Adventure Park – is located about a hundred meters from the highway and the Zamárdi-Felső railway station, in a beautiful, thirty-five thousand square meter grove, offering almost endless possibilities for active leisure activities.

Other tourists attractions in the vicinity of the pilgrimage site can be found on their county website of the Somogy county. https://vendeg.kaposvar.hu/en/#latnivalok