23. August 2004.

Pope John Paul II receives yet another gift of Herend porcelain.

Herend porcelain has been deemed many times as the most fitting Hungarian gift for His Holiness both on the occasion of his visits to Hungary to date and whenever Hungarian dignitaries have visited the Vatican.

The Nemesvámos Riding Club of Alexander Hussars scheduled a commemorative tour for this spring or early summer in memory of the person their club takes its name after.
The commemorative tour followed the Lyon-Rome equestrian route, and the riders wore the original uniforms. Way back in 1814, it was this company of hussars that escorted Pope Pius VII on his return to Rome following his release from his incarceration under Napoleon. At one stage of this memorable ride Captain János N. Horváth offered his own dolman to the 72-year-old Pope shivering with cold.

The riders participating in the tour swore an oath in public before the representatives of the church, upon which Dr. Péter Bohus, parson, gave them the Church's blessing on Calvary Hill, Veszprém before they set off on their commemorative ride down memory lane.
The riders, having crossed the Hungarian-Austrian border, made their way to Lyon, from where they left for Rome. They reached the Italian capital after 25 days spent on horseback. Upon their arrival they attended an audience with the Pope and handed over the gift to His Holiness, which consisted of 4 Herend porcelain figures of Hadik Hussars. A donation of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, the gift of the hussars was offered to His Holiness, to the Swiss Guard who had helped them along the way and to the Italian and French armies.

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