Csaroda Reformed Church

The northeastern region of Hungary has many late Roman-style village churches. One of the finest examples would be the Csaroda Reformed Church in the Bereg Plain, built in the late 13th century. This quaint little holy place can be found in the county of Szabolcs‑Szatmár‑Bereg on a small hill, on a bend of the Csaronda creek.

The tower never had a bell; instead, a wooden belfry was carved next to it in the 18th century. In summer and autumn, the picturesque landscape is more than enough to impress visitors, but the inside of the always-open church gives a truly exceptional impression. It consists of two sections: the rectangular nave and the square-shaped sanctuary. There’s a reason the building is called The Church of Smiling Saints: certain parts of it are decorated with frescoes depicting the Apostles, created in the late 1300s. The building also stands as a testament to the colours and forms of later eras: for example, the slope of the eastern window contains a number of frescoes from King Sigismund’s reign, while other sections still display floral motifs painted in the mid-16th century after the church was consecrated as a Reformed Church. The building’s painted wooden ceiling is from 1777 and the folk Baroque-style wooden pulpit, the galleries and the benches are also from around that period.

References:

• reformationroutes.eu

Address

Kossuth Lajos utca 11, Csaroda, Hungary

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Religious sites in Hungary