Vác

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Vác
County Pest
Area 61.63 km²
Population  
  • 33.903
  • 550 /km²
Postal code 2600
Area code 27

Vác (pronounced: ˈvaːʦ) (sometimes spelled Väcz; Slovak: Vacov, German: Waitzen, Latin: Vacium) is a city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The town is occasionally known in Hungarian by the archaic names Vacz and Vacs.

Contents

[edit] Location

Vác is located north of Budapest on the left bank of the Danube river where it bends to begin its southern route. The town is seated at the foot of the Naszály Mountain on the outskirts of the Carpathians.

[edit] Modern Vác

Vác Cathedral.
Vác Cathedral.
Triumphal Arch.
Triumphal Arch.

Vác is a commercial center as well as a popular summer resort for citizens of Budapest. The cathedral, built 1761-1777, was modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The episcopal palace houses a musem for Roman and medieval artifacts. The city is also known for its 18th century triumphal arch.

[edit] History

Settlement in Vác dating as far back as the Roman Empire has been found.

Bishops from the diocese were influential within the Kingdom of Hungary, with many serving as chancellors or later becoming archbishops.

The town was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1541. During the Habsburg Monarchy's wars against the Ottomans, the Austrians won victories against the Turks at Vác in 1597 and 1684.

See also:

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Ethnicity

[edit] Religious denomination

[edit] Twin towns

Vác is a twinned with:

[edit] Sources and external links

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. [1]

Coordinates: 47°47′N, 19°08′E