IN THE ROYAL CITY
The path of coat of arms casting
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: BEATRIX TORMA
In ancient times, the coats of arms of cities, noble families, and guilds were created by skilled metalworkers. These artistic handicrafts were typically made of bronze, tin, or copper. Coats of arms were often cast as seals used to authenticate letters and official documents. The coat of arms of Esztergom was also developed from the city's historical seals. The coat of arms created by Iamart for the town hall garden is the result of a challenging and unique piece of craftsmanship.
ESZTERGOM MAYOR'S OFFICE
MONOLIT TERRAZZO PLUS COAT OF ARMS CASTING, OUTDOORS
The Iamart manufactory is committed to the care and preservation of traditional handcrafted products and is open to innovative technological solutions that meet contemporary architectural demands.
While the production of small-element terrazzo tiles has been part of the company's range since the founding of its Csepel plant, the company has expanded its activities after many years of professional experimentation and learning with the casting of monolithic terrazzo coverings, which are typically made to order and cast on site.
The Monolit Terrazzo Plus surface, which is made on site, is characterized by classic elegance and durability, and is an innovative reinterpretation of traditional Venetian terrazzo. The combination of classic appearance and innovative technology also provides the manufacturer with the opportunity to create experimental architectural elements and objects, such as the city coat of arms designed for the renovated garden of the Esztergom City Hall.
Artistic contemporary coat of arms casting
The Baroque-style palace originally stood on the site of the house of János Bottyán (commonly known as Vak Bottyán), a Kuruc general and legendary commander in the Rákóczi War of Independence, who had it built as a castle for his own use, intending to retire there in his old age. The original house, which stood on the former market square, burned down in 1770 as a result of a lightning strike. After that, construction began on the arcaded, vaulted corridor Baroque mansion, which has become thoroughly worn out over the past two and a half centuries.
In 2023, the latest renovation of the building and the inner courtyard began with the aim of transforming the courtyard garden into a landscaped, flower-filled relaxation area.
Based on the landscape design plan, a 300 cm diameter city coat of arms, defined as a work of art, was designed to be sunk into a limestone pavement in the building's newly planted garden. The design and the technique used were developed in collaboration between the client, the designer, and the contractor, and the technology chosen was Monolit Terrazzo Plus, which contains marble chips.
ESZTERGOM MAYOR'S OFFICE
MONOLIT TERRAZZO PLUS COAT OF ARMS CASTING, OUTDOORS
The Iamart manufactory is committed to the care and preservation of traditional handcrafted products and is open to innovative technological solutions that meet contemporary architectural demands.
While the production of small-element terrazzo tiles has been part of the company's range since the founding of its Csepel plant, the company has expanded its activities after many years of professional experimentation and learning with the casting of monolithic terrazzo coverings, which are typically made to order and cast on site.
The Monolit Terrazzo Plus surface, which is made on site, is characterized by classic elegance and durability, and is an innovative reinterpretation of traditional Venetian terrazzo. The combination of classic appearance and innovative technology also provides the manufacturer with the opportunity to create experimental architectural elements and objects, such as the city coat of arms designed for the renovated garden of the Esztergom City Hall.
The coat of arms of Esztergom is a circular shield with a pointed base, which was developed from the town's historical seals. The current colour version was designed in 1721 by Simon Grabmayer based on medieval royal seals. The central element of the coat of arms is the St. Lawrence Gate, a castle gate with two bastions, which was one of the important entrances to the medieval city. The building rising behind the gate depicts the former Szennye Palace, while the nine-bar coat of arms of the Árpád dynasty can be seen on the shield base below the gate. The coat of arms itself consists of a two-part shield with rounded sides and a pointed bottom.
During the consultations, three pigment colors were chosen for the entire surface and patterns.
Artistic contemporary coat of arms casting
The Baroque-style palace originally stood on the site of the house of János Bottyán (commonly known as Vak Bottyán), a Kuruc general and legendary commander in the Rákóczi War of Independence, who had it built as a castle for his own use, intending to retire there in his old age. The original house, which stood on the former market square, burned down in 1770 as a result of a lightning strike. After that, construction began on the arcaded, vaulted corridor Baroque mansion, which has become thoroughly worn out over the past two and a half centuries.
In 2023, the latest renovation of the building and the inner courtyard began with the aim of transforming the courtyard garden into a landscaped, flower-filled relaxation area.
Based on the landscape design plan, a 300 cm diameter city coat of arms, defined as a work of art, was designed to be sunk into a limestone pavement in the building's newly planted garden. The design and the technique used were developed in collaboration between the client, the designer, and the contractor, and the technology chosen was Monolit Terrazzo Plus, which contains marble chips.
The casting of the coat of arms was preceded by meticulous preparation, not only in ancient times but also on this occasion. As in the past, the first step was to create a positive model of the coat of arms with precise dimensions and details. Before placing the model template into the mold, Iamart's staff prepared the base and created and installed a circular copper profile to change the covering.
The rich detail of the coat of arms pattern required extreme attention, constant rethinking, and perseverance from the company's employees with degrees in fine arts (Eszter Sára Göcsei and Gréta Likár), who carried out the artistic casting of the Monolit Terrazzo Plus surfaces.
The coat of arms of Esztergom is a circular shield with a pointed base, which was developed from the town's historical seals. The current colour version was designed in 1721 by Simon Grabmayer based on medieval royal seals. The central element of the coat of arms is the St. Lawrence Gate, a castle gate with two bastions, which was one of the important entrances to the medieval city. The building rising behind the gate depicts the former Szennye Palace, while the nine-bar coat of arms of the Árpád dynasty can be seen on the shield base below the gate. The coat of arms itself consists of a two-part shield with rounded sides and a pointed bottom.
During the consultations, three pigment colors were chosen for the entire surface and patterns.
The casting of the coat of arms was preceded by meticulous preparation, not only in ancient times but also on this occasion. As in the past, the first step was to create a positive model of the coat of arms with precise dimensions and details. Before placing the model template into the mold, Iamart's staff prepared the base and created and installed a circular copper profile to change the covering.
The rich detail of the coat of arms pattern required extreme attention, constant rethinking, and perseverance from the company's employees with degrees in fine arts (Eszter Sára Göcsei and Gréta Likár), who carried out the artistic casting of the Monolit Terrazzo Plus surfaces.
