**VESZPRIMIA** (VESZPRÉM), Diocese of. – A city and diocese in Hungary. It covers an area of 13,710 km² with a population of 874,163, of whom 703,198 are Catholics. In 1949, they were distributed across 329 parishes served by 440 diocesan priests and 183 religious; in addition, there was one seminary, 22 male religious communities, and 47 female religious communities (*Ann. Pont. 1953*, p. 446).
The city of V. is one of the oldest in Hungary. Blessed Gisella, wife of St. Stephen, chose it as her residence and built the first cathedral there. In the Middle Ages, a school was attached to the cathedral where, in addition to Latin, logic, and rhetoric, the quadrivium was also taught, and it enjoyed great renown. The city was sacked several times and suffered Turkish domination. Today, on the southern side of the cathedral, one can admire a chapel dating back to the 11th century, which still preserves paintings from that period. It is the oldest surviving example of Hungarian Gothic art. Around the city, the evocative ruins of the Dominican convent founded by Blessed Gisella can be seen, where St. Margaret of Hungary was educated. The cathedral is dedicated to St. Michael. The diocese is a suffragan of Esztergom.
At its foundation in 1009, the diocese was very extensive, and the bishops of V. always played a major role in the Catholic life of the country. One prerogative of the bishop of V. queen, a privilege recognized by the Holy See in 1220. The bishops of V. distinguished themselves especially in the struggle against the Turks. The most illustrious and valiant were János Vitéz (1489–99) and Péter Beriszló (1512–20). However, in 1526 the Turks invaded the entire region, and during the episcopate of Pál Bornemissza (1549–53), the episcopal see was transferred to Sümeg. After the territory was finally liberated, the diocese, from the 18th century onward, began a new life marked by intense activity, governed by bishops renowned for their learning and holiness. János Ottó Volkra (1710–20) built the seminary; Imre Esterházy (1723–25), later Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary, constructed the new cathedral; and Bishop Márton Biro (1745–62), who died in a reputation for holiness, built or restored no fewer than 107 churches. In 1777, the diocese was significantly reduced in size when the Diocese of Székesfehérvár was erected from its territory. Today, the bishop of V. is Msgr. Bertalan Badalik, O.P., who, together with Fr. Bangha, S.J., and his lamented predecessor in the see, Msgr. Tihamér Tóth, did much to foster the Catholic revival in Hungary after the First World War.