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Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross traces its origins back to the 13th century.

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According to archaeological excavations, there was already a church on the site of the current one in earlier times. The sanctuary was likely built during the era of the Mongol invasion, and its original decorations were restored during the renovation completed in 2022. The tombstone of the church's founder was also discovered in the sanctuary, but the inscriptions on it are yet to be deciphered. The church, as it can be admired today, features fresco and secco fragments that indicate the Keresztúr church is one of the most beautifully painted 15th-century Gothic churches still standing. The wall paintings depict Saint Nicholas, Saint Catherine, and Saint Ambrose. The sanctuary and nave of the church reached their current form by 1520, as indicated by the ANNO DOMINI 1520 inscription visible on the southern main cornice. In the 15th-16th centuries, there was also a large northern chapel next to the church that still stands today. However, this chapel was demolished relatively early, during the Reformation in the 16th century, and it is believed that its stones were used to build the church tower, as the Gothic church likely had a separate wooden bell tower before. During the spread of the Reformation, Bodrogkeresztúr became Calvinist, and the Catholic church was taken over by the Reformed congregation, who adapted the interior to their faith: Gothic stone carvings were chiselled away, Gothic tombs visible in the sanctuary were filled in, and their closing stones were thrown into the graves. The church was whitewashed, the floor level was raised, and it was paved with stone slabs. This process was repeated after the church was re-Catholicised. During the 18th century, a new stone floor was laid, the white walls were repainted, and the Baroque gallery, still visible today, was built at the end of the century. Finally, in 1812, the current Baroque altar was completed. In 2017, extensive archaeological excavations began on the church grounds. Frescoes painted over during the Reformation were rediscovered, and researchers uncovered a true rarity: the church walls concealed a stone cross believed to originate from the Holy Land. Additionally, the church's stone-carved baptismal font was also unearthed.


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