“Renaissance King” refers to King Matthias and 2008 is the year to mark the 550th anniversary of the ascendance of King Matthias to the Hungarian throne in 1457.

From today til December, renaissance and contemporary art from architectural, photo exhibitions and concerts will be held in Budapest to mark this special 2008 Renaissance Year. All these items are made so special because during Matthias’ rule (1458-1490) Hungary developed into a cultural centre renowned throughout Europe.

His full name was Matthias Corvinus. As he was inspired by Renaissance flourishing in Italy, he invited artists, scientists, scholars such as Galeotto Marzio, Bonfini to help establish the roots of Renaissance culture in Hungary. Several traces of how much he loved the renaissance including what we can still see today in Hungary, how King Matthias developed the court in Buda into a stunning royal residence that attracted visitors from foreign countries.

Catch a glimpse into renaissance architecture and find out what are the outstanding achievements of the period. This time with the use of modern technology! Opens on September 26 at the Budapest National Museum.

However, if you are a fan of Michelangelo and Shakespeare, the Budapest Museum of History will host an exhibition specially dedicated to these two great poets in the renaissance times. Look forward for more from mid-November.

The Palace of Arts will put on display to showcase the most outstanding public buildings of the Neo-Renaissance from September 20.

Of 700 events at 300 venues, it has thus far attracted 3 million visitors. That’s quite a record, isn’t it?

For the curious travelers who wants to know how King Matthias looked like, you can see his ‘face’ in the front of a 1000 Hungarian Forint banknote.

Two virtues were remembered of him - wisdom and justice.