Medieval History
A new website provides a number of very-well done virtual visits (360° panoramas) to Transylvanian sites. The site, called Treasures of Szeklerland introduces monuments and sites from the eastern part of Transylvania, the territory of the Szeklers. Several of the medieval churches on the site contain important fresco cycles - including some of my favorites.
These are all small village churches, and in most cases the 14th century decoration of the naves survives. The cycles occupy the uninterrupted north wall of these churches, painted in several rows. Generally the upper row on the north wall is dedicated to the legend of King Saint Ladislas (ruled 1077-1095), more specifically the story where he frees a Hungarian girl abducted by the invading Cuman warriors.
Other cycles generally include the Passion of Christ, and often the Last Judgment. On the Treasures of Szeklerland website, some of the most important such cycles can be studied. I cannot provide direct links to different parts of the flash-based site, but upon starting, you will land inside the church at Gelence (Ghelinta). I also recommend the virtual visit of the following churches: Bögöz (Mugeni), Székelyderzs (Dirjiu, with frescoes from 1419), and Kilyén (Chilieni). Csíkrákos (Racu) has fewer frescoes, but here the entire western tower is decorated, probably from the 16th century. The Apor-mansion at Torja (Turia) preserved interesting secular painting from the mid-17th century. Inside the (virtual) churches, be sure to look up at the 17th-18th century painted coffered ceilings! A great advantage of the website is that it provides succinct information on the sites in English (as well as in Hungarian and Romanian).
Naturally, more and more websites offer similar panoramas (usually with Apple Quicktime software). I am listing a few more churches from Transylvania, with medieval wall paintings - first of all panoramas from the Kárpátok.info site (click on the photos at the top of these pages, and then select one of the links with the Quicktime logo next to it - all info is in Hungarian):
Almakerék (Mâl?ncrav / Malmkrog), a church with two sets of frescoes, with those in the nave dating from the 14th century, and the extensive cycle in the sanctuary dating from around 1400.
Szászhermány (H?rman / Honigberg) is a 13th century church built by Transylvanian Saxons. Here the frescoes are in a chapel built into the fortifications around the church - the panorama only shows the interior of the main church.
On another site, you can see Demsus (Densus), an Orthodox church from the 13th century, with wall paintings from the 14th.
Finally, although most of its frescoes were destroyed, you should still pay a virtual visit to the cathedral of Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia), about which I wrote on this blog earlier.
- Medieval Wall Paintings Uncovered At Kövi/kame?any
Saint Anne with the Virgin at KöviThe village of Kövi (Kame?any, SK) lies in the vicinity of Rimaszombat (Rimavská Sobota) and Rozsnyó (Ro??ava), just north of the modern border between Hungary and Slovakia. In the middle ages, the settlement had...
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- Medieval Frescoes At Bögöz Restored
One of my favourite medieval churches is at Bögöz (Mugeni, RO), in Transylvania. The north wall of this church is covered with a rich ensemble of 14th century mural paintings, which were discovered in 1898. Fur much of the last 100 years, these frescoes...
- Medieval Wall Paintings Discovered At Magyarlóna
Cover of the book on Magyarlóna The village of Magyarlóna (formerly known as Szászlóna, now Luna de Sus, Romania) is a characteristic village of the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania, near Kolozsvár (Cluj). The village was first mentioned...
- New Book On The Frescoes Of Johannes Aquila
Johannes Aquila was a painter from the town of Radkersburg in Styria, working in the last quarter of the 14th century. Frescoes by him (or by his workshop) survive in altogether five churches in the area which used to be the border region of Styria and...
Medieval History
Virtual visits to Transylvanian medieval churches
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Gelence (Ghelinta) |
A new website provides a number of very-well done virtual visits (360° panoramas) to Transylvanian sites. The site, called Treasures of Szeklerland introduces monuments and sites from the eastern part of Transylvania, the territory of the Szeklers. Several of the medieval churches on the site contain important fresco cycles - including some of my favorites.
These are all small village churches, and in most cases the 14th century decoration of the naves survives. The cycles occupy the uninterrupted north wall of these churches, painted in several rows. Generally the upper row on the north wall is dedicated to the legend of King Saint Ladislas (ruled 1077-1095), more specifically the story where he frees a Hungarian girl abducted by the invading Cuman warriors.
Other cycles generally include the Passion of Christ, and often the Last Judgment. On the Treasures of Szeklerland website, some of the most important such cycles can be studied. I cannot provide direct links to different parts of the flash-based site, but upon starting, you will land inside the church at Gelence (Ghelinta). I also recommend the virtual visit of the following churches: Bögöz (Mugeni), Székelyderzs (Dirjiu, with frescoes from 1419), and Kilyén (Chilieni). Csíkrákos (Racu) has fewer frescoes, but here the entire western tower is decorated, probably from the 16th century. The Apor-mansion at Torja (Turia) preserved interesting secular painting from the mid-17th century. Inside the (virtual) churches, be sure to look up at the 17th-18th century painted coffered ceilings! A great advantage of the website is that it provides succinct information on the sites in English (as well as in Hungarian and Romanian).
Naturally, more and more websites offer similar panoramas (usually with Apple Quicktime software). I am listing a few more churches from Transylvania, with medieval wall paintings - first of all panoramas from the Kárpátok.info site (click on the photos at the top of these pages, and then select one of the links with the Quicktime logo next to it - all info is in Hungarian):
Almakerék (Mâl?ncrav / Malmkrog), a church with two sets of frescoes, with those in the nave dating from the 14th century, and the extensive cycle in the sanctuary dating from around 1400.
Szászhermány (H?rman / Honigberg) is a 13th century church built by Transylvanian Saxons. Here the frescoes are in a chapel built into the fortifications around the church - the panorama only shows the interior of the main church.
On another site, you can see Demsus (Densus), an Orthodox church from the 13th century, with wall paintings from the 14th.
Finally, although most of its frescoes were destroyed, you should still pay a virtual visit to the cathedral of Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia), about which I wrote on this blog earlier.
- Medieval Wall Paintings Uncovered At Kövi/kame?any
Saint Anne with the Virgin at KöviThe village of Kövi (Kame?any, SK) lies in the vicinity of Rimaszombat (Rimavská Sobota) and Rozsnyó (Ro??ava), just north of the modern border between Hungary and Slovakia. In the middle ages, the settlement had...
- The Route Of Medieval Churches
Baktalórántháza Fresco of ChristTwo years ago, I already reported on the Route of Medieval Churches project, which focuses on medieval monuments in North-Eastern Hungary, and neighbouring regions of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, which now lie in...
- Medieval Frescoes At Bögöz Restored
One of my favourite medieval churches is at Bögöz (Mugeni, RO), in Transylvania. The north wall of this church is covered with a rich ensemble of 14th century mural paintings, which were discovered in 1898. Fur much of the last 100 years, these frescoes...
- Medieval Wall Paintings Discovered At Magyarlóna
Cover of the book on Magyarlóna The village of Magyarlóna (formerly known as Szászlóna, now Luna de Sus, Romania) is a characteristic village of the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania, near Kolozsvár (Cluj). The village was first mentioned...
- New Book On The Frescoes Of Johannes Aquila
Johannes Aquila was a painter from the town of Radkersburg in Styria, working in the last quarter of the 14th century. Frescoes by him (or by his workshop) survive in altogether five churches in the area which used to be the border region of Styria and...