Review of Imre Takács' book on The Arrival of French Gothic in Hungary

Imre Takács: The Arrival of French Gothic in Hungary. Bibliotheca Collegii Professorum Hungarorum. Piliscsaba: Makovecz Campus Alapítvány, 2024. 

ISBN: 9786150202501

Imre Takács's important book about the arrival of French Gothic art in the Kingdom of Hungary has recently been published in an English translation. The book is key to understanding the early reception of the new gothic forms in a far-away Kingdom of medieval Europe. It is well-known that Hungary was among the first places to embrace the new style, but the circumstances and the exact nature of the 'French connection' have been imperfectly understood. Takács provides not only an overview of these questions but numerous new observations and explanations. In historiography, a key role was accorded to the travel of Villard de Honnecourt.  A 13th-century French-language codex in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris preserved the architectural and other drawings of Villard de Honnecourt, and this work has long fascinated scholars of the Gothic period (BNF Fr 19093). In the codex, Villard wrote the following next to a drawing of the traceried window of the cathedral in Reims: "I was sent to Hungary when I drew this, because it pleased me most" (fol. 10v). Additional passages also refer to his Hungarian trip.

This later inscription in the sketchbook of Villard states:
"de Honnecor[t], who had been in Hungary" (BNF)

Imre Henszlmann, one of the pioneering Hungarian researchers of Gothic architecture, was among the first to recognize the significance of entries in the then-unpublished (but already known) codex. Like his contemporaries, he started out believing that Gothic was a German style. In 1846, he authored the first Hungarian monograph on medieval architecture, titled The Old German-Style Churches of Kassa (now Košice). During his study trip to England and France in the years following the War of Independence of 1848-49, Henszlmann became acquainted with French Gothic architecture and noted Villard de Honnecourt's sketchbook. In 1857, he presented his theory in Paris, proposing that Villard had designed none other than the Church of St. Elizabeth in Kassa (Košice) around 1270, during the reign of King Stephen V. While Henszlmann acknowledged that the cathedral in Kassa was ultimately built in a 'German' style, he argued that its foundational plan was distinctly French. This marked the beginning of scholarly investigations into the connections between French Gothic centers and Hungary. Though Henszlmann and subsequent scholars were incorrect about Villard de Honnecourt's role in Hungary, the question continued to resurface over time. A deeper understanding of the emergence of French Gothic in Hungary only became possible after significant archaeological excavations in the 20th century—most notably at the Castle Hill in Esztergom during the 1930s and at the Cistercian Abbey of Pilis in the 1970s. These excavations uncovered key monuments that shed new light on the spread of Gothic architecture in Hungary.

Esztergom, Chapel of the Royal Palace, 1180s

Ernő Marosi was the first to comprehensively analyze the origins of Hungarian Gothic architecture in his influential 1984 monograph, Die Anfänge der Gotik in Ungarn. The work focuses on the late 12th-century buildings of Esztergom and highlights the palace chapel there as perhaps the earliest example of the reception of northern French Gothic architectural innovations east of the Rhine. Marosi's insights served as the foundation for Imre Takács' subsequent research, and it is fitting that Takács dedicated his own work to his late professor, who passed away in 2021. Takács' scholarship represents the culmination of decades of research. It began in the 1990s when, as a curator of the Hungarian National Gallery, he reconstructed the tomb of Queen Gertrude—discovered at Pilis Abbey—using fragments excavated by László Gerevich and preserved in the Gallery. Takács then extended his efforts to a detailed study of the complete carved material from Pilis Abbey and the stone collection of the Castle Museum in Esztergom. Among the fragments in Esztergom, the Porta Speciosa, the former western gate of the cathedral, became a particular focus of his research, leading to his recent publication on the subject. The third major site of Takács' research was Pannonhalma Abbey, where he played a key role as the main organizer of the exhibition celebrating the abbey's 1000th anniversary. He also served as the editor of the comprehensive three-volume catalog published for the occasion in 1996.

Esztergom, Deesis-tympanum, originally on the inside of the Porta Speciosa of the Cathedral

These three sites also feature prominently in the new monograph, The Arrival of French Gothic in Hungary, published this year. The English-language volume is a translation of Imre Takács' 2018 monograph in Hungarian, which came out with the title The Reception of French Gothic in Hungary in the Age of Andrew II. The slightly broader English title is justified by the fact that the buildings of Esztergom in the time of Béla III also play a major role in the volume. At the heart of the monograph is the recognition that in some of the central sites of the Kingdom of Hungary, the structural and formal solutions of French Gothic art appeared much earlier than in other countries of Europe. Imre Takács shows that this is true not only for the time of Béla III and the early Gothic period but also for the time of King Andrew II and the Classical Gothic period, which was fashionable at the time. In addition to Esztergom, Pilis, and Pannonhalma, several important buildings of the early 13th century are mentioned in the text: the cathedral of Kalocsa, the Premonstratensian abbey church of Ócsa, the Cistercian abbey of Topuszkó, etc. Along with goldsmith works, the monograph discusses all the most important surviving evidence of courtly art of the period.

The detailed discussion of the topic begins with the art of the time of Béla III, primarily with the study of the early Gothic elements of the royal palace and the cathedral of Esztergom. It is here that the use of the red marble from the Gerecse hills, which played a major role in the Gothic period, first appeared in Hungary. Takács describes in detail the most important monuments, especially the Porta Speciosa, the main gate of the cathedral, decorated with colored marble decoration. This monument, dating from the end of the 12th century, is contemporary with the first Gothic monuments built in Esztergom, above all the palace chapel. Takács dates this building campaign to the second half of the 1180s and links the appearance of the 'French connection' to the arrival of Queen Margaret of Capet in Hungary in 1186. This construction coincided with the building of the Cistercian priory of Pilis, founded by Béla III in 1184, which is the subject of Takács's next chapter. Construction there lasted until the first decade of the 13th century, after which the French-educated masons who worked there were employed on two important buildings of the period of Andrew II: the new building of the cathedral of Kalocsa, begun around 1210 by Archbishop Bertold of Andechs-Meran, and the Premonstratensian church of Ócsa, built a little earlier (but never fully completed). This chapter describes in detail how Gothic forms spread throughout the Kingdom of Hungary in the decades before the Mongol invasion of 1241, with the cloisters of the royal residence in Óbuda, the abbey of Somogyvár, and Szermonostor as the most important additional examples.

Pannonhalma, abbey church, vaulting of the nave

The fourth part of the volume deals with the most remarkable phenomena from an international point of view: when the French Classical Gothic forms, which were considered modern in their home country, appeared in Hungary in the 1220s. In this respect, Hungary is no longer as unique as it was at the time of the reception of early Gothic in the late 12th century, since the stone carvers and sculptors who set out from the cathedral lodges of the great French cathedrals appeared in several parts of the Holy Roman Empire, such as in Strassburg or Bamberg, as well as in Klosterneuburg near Vienna. In Hungary, one of the key monuments of this phase is the completion of the Benedictine abbey church in Pannonhalma, especially the upper parts of the southern nave wall completed for the consecration in 1224, and the construction of the Porta Speciosa, which is incorporated into this wall. Imre Takács provides detailed evidence of the direct Reims origin of the carvings found here. The conclusions concerning the presence of Reims stone carvers in Hungary before 1224 are of great importance: the date of the consecration in Pannonhalma also allows the rather uncertain chronology of the Reims cathedral at that time to be clarified. 

Detail of the Porta Speciosa at Pannonhalma

In the next section, Takács describes in detail the most important sculptural monument of the period, the fragments of the tomb of Queen Gertrude, who was murdered in 1213. He also shows that the sculptor of these carvings came to the Kingdom of Hungary from the building lodge working on the cathedral in Reims. In this context, the fact that Villard de Honnecourt, who compiled the best-known collection of architectural drawings of the period, also left for Hungary from Reims, around 1220 according to most scholars, is particularly noteworthy. Political connections also explain the links: in particular the family circle of Yolande Courtenay, second wife of Andrew II. A red marble tomb slab with engraved decoration, also found in the abbey church of Pilis, is linked to a member of this family. The style of the tomb is exactly the same as the drawings in Villard de Honnecourt's sketchbook. The final part of the book studies objects of the minor arts, mainly in the field of goldsmith works, which have also occupied the author since the beginning of his career: the seals of the Árpád monarchs, and the analysis of a special 13th-century technique of luxury goldsmith decoration, the so-called opus duplex. 

Fragment of a seated figure from the sarcophagus of Queen Gertrude, 
originally from Pilis Abbey (Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest)

All these observations highlight the direct link that existed between the Hungarian royal court and the contemporary centers of French Gothic. The monuments that are given shorter passages in the text, sometimes with only one or two carvings representing French Gothic forms, indicate that the most modern architectural forms were widespread in Hungary in the pre-Mongol period. As we have seen, the question is of great importance not only for the spread of Gothic art in Central Europe but also for a more accurate chronology of French monuments. We can only hope that some of the archaeological research currently underway, especially the excavation of the Cistercian monastery at Egres, which served as the burial site of Andrew II and his wife Yolande, may add further finds to the picture of French art of the period painted by Imre Takács. 

Golden seal of King Andrew II

At this point, it is worth highlighting the research topics of Imre Takács, who has been teaching at the Institute of Art History at ELTE since 2016. In addition to the subjects explored in this volume, which have accompanied his academic career, two additional areas of his research deserve special mention. First, he has extensively studied the history of the construction and carvings of the Gyulafehérvár Cathedral, the only surviving Árpád-era cathedral. Second, he has focused on Hungarian royal monuments, particularly artworks associated with King Sigismund. Takács has written on these topics in The Art of Medieval Hungary, a book co-edited by him and published in English in Rome in 2018. The Rome volume aimed to make the lesser-known material on medieval Hungarian art accessible to the international scholarly community in a clear and structured handbook. It includes a summary of the first century of Hungarian Gothic art, which briefly introduces many of the research findings elaborated in detail in the current monograph. Finally, these findings are presented here in detail and in English. Just as Ernő Marosi's book marked a pivotal moment in the international recognition of Hungarian Gothic art, the publication of Takács' detailed monograph in English is poised to play a similarly significant role in advancing the study of the spread of French Gothic in Europe. Overviews of European Gothic art can now be enriched with new insights into the contributions of the sculptors from Reims who worked in Central Europe, especially in Hungary, including their achievements in Pannonhalma (recent publications often ignored these connections). The monograph also contributes to a clearer interpretation of the Villard de Honnecourt question. For these reasons, the availability of a major synthesis of Imre Takács' scholarly achievements in the language of international scholarship is both very welcome and of great importance. 

Finally, a word about the excellent and high-quality production of this elegant hardcover volume. The book is presented in a different format from the Hungarian edition, featuring 536 pages and 676 high-quality illustrations seamlessly integrated into the text. The way the black-and-white illustrations accompany the text significantly enhances the readability of the volume (a major improvement compared to the Hungarian edition). It should also be noted that the book has been translated by Alan Campbell with exceptional precision and a high linguistic standard. It surely belongs to the shelf of all serious scholars of the Gothic!

In Hungary, the book can currently be purchased at the bookstore of ELTE. It is also possible to contact the publisher, Collegium Professorum Hungarorum (Makovecz Campus Alapítvány) for further information.

Szászbogács Summer University Course Organized for the Fourth Time

Owl on the southern choir stalls at
Szászbogács, 1533

In August 2024, the Szászbogács Summer University Course for Monument Protection was organized by Asio Association and the Pro Professione Foundation for the fourth time. Held at the Transylvania Saxon fortified church of Szászbogács / Băgaciu / Bogeschdorf, the summer course focused on the architectural and artistic heritage of the Szekler Lands. The idea of the summer university comes from Transylvanian restorer Ferenc Mihály, a prominent representative of heritage protection in Transylvania. In the autumn of 2017, he suggested that the unused Saxon fortified church of Szászbogács would be suitable for launching a regular summer university course organized in cooperation with Hungarian and Romanian university departments providing complex training in areas related to heritage conservation. Based on this idea, the summer courses are jointly organized by the art history departments of four universities (Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Károli Gáspár University, and Babeș-Bolyai University), together with the Conservation Department of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts and the Department of the History of Architecture and Monument Protection of BME (Budapest University of Technology). The summer course aims to bring together students from these departments to mutually gain insight into the methodologies of the different disciplines. Several presentations are held on methods and the students can also practice architectural survey and documentation, various techniques of conservation surveys and documentation methods, and so on. In addition, each year's course has a thematic focus, which provides the topic of lectures and a two-day study tour in the area. Each year, distinguished guest speakers are invited to give insight into new research and even the methods of related fields, such as archaeology. This year, the lectures and the study tour concentrated on medieval and early modern art in the territories of the Szeklers (Székelyföld). 

The Saxon fortified church of Szászbogács / Băgaciu / Bogeschdorf

In addition to providing instruction to the students, the staff and students of the summer course study significant medieval buildings in the region. This activity focuses on the medieval churches of the Transylvanian Saxons - which now often stand without the communities that once used them. In many cases, barely any documentation is available on these buildings, some of which are in a rather derelict condition due to neglect. Documentation activity was carried out in the church of Szászbogács as well, and in 2024, the abandoned medieval church of Szásznagyvesszős (Veseuș, Michelsdorf) was surveyed. The Lutheran fortified church of Szászbogács has perfectly preserved its medieval characteristics in detail, too: the single-nave longitudinal nave and the polygonal choir are covered with rib vaults, completed with a remarkably sized western tower. Its furniture makes an elaborated reconstruction of medieval use possible: the sedilia and other niches of the chancel, the intact medieval altar mensa, and the baptismal font represent a vast array of minor-architectural furnishing of the liturgical space. This is complemented by a composition of wall paintings from several periods, a winged altar of exceptional quality, two late-Gothic choir stalls, and the original hardware of the sacristy door and gate. This extremely multi-layered historic ensemble makes the church of Szászbogács particularly suitable for studying and applying various methods of art history.

Students discussing about the main altar of Szászbogács

The goals of the summer university and the activities of the first year (2019) were summarized in an article in issue 3-4/2019 of the journal Műemlékvédelem (available online, but with a subscription). In the same journal, the preliminary results of the investigation of the medieval murals of Szászbogács were also published (in a brief study by István Bóna and myself). In 2022, the thematic focus was on late medieval altarpieces and wall paintings in Transylvania, you can find a Hungarian-language overview of the year's activities here. In 2023, we focused on Árpád-period architecture. In addition to the summer course, several small conferences were organized in Budapest, where the students could present their research or observations. Several studies have already appeared or are in preparation based on research started at the summer courses. In the future, the organizers hope to continue not only these annual events, but wish to establish a more permanent competence center for the study, preservation, and restoration of historic monuments in Transylvania.

The Lutheran church of Szásznagyvesszős / Veseuș / Michelsdorf

Visit to the medieval church of Oklánd / Ocland, to study the newly restored frescoes

The author of this blog (Zsombor Jékely, left) helping Mihály Jánó during his presentation
on the wall paintings of the Legend of Saint Ladislas

Art in Medieval Hungary - Now on Smarthistory!

Being busy has kept me from updating this blog for some time, however, I was busy getting information out about the art of medieval Hungary to other platforms. I would like to call your attention to two of my essays published on the Smarthistory website: one on the statue of St. George, and the other on the Bakócz-chapel in Esztergom. The essays were written as part of a project aimed at creating content related to Eastern Europe to the site. Edited and partly written by Dr. Alice Isabella Sullivan, these new essays present case studies of objects and monuments from the areas to the north of the Danube River (15th-17th centuries). You can already find several of them online! Let's hope that the project can continue with even more content on this superb educational platform.

The first essay is dedicated to the bronze statue of Saint George in Prague Castle. Regarded as one of the most significant bronze statues of the late Middle Ages, it features Saint George and the dragon. The lively and dynamic composition is about three-quarters life-size (almost 2 meters high). The horse rides toward the left on a rocky terrain inhabited by snakes and lizards but rears up and turns his head back toward the dragon. Saint George holds his spear in his right hand and thrusts it diagonally in front of the horse, hitting the dragon's throat. In his left hand, he once held a shield with a cross and an inscription that dated the work to 1373 and named its makers: Martin and Georg of Kolozsvár. You can find more information in my essay.

The second essay is about the Bakócz-chapel, located in the cathedral of Esztergom. Although it is not in its original form today, this chapel was the earliest centrally-planned Renaissance building north of the Alps. Commissioned by Cardinal Tamás Bakócz (archbishop of Esztergom from 1497 to 1521), the chapel is a unique survival from the medieval cathedral of Esztergom and a groundbreaking Renaissance structure finished just a few years before the collapse of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. You can continue reading about the chapel here.

The Island - Saint Margaret and the Dominicans (new exhibition in Budapest)

A new temporary exhibition opened at the Budapest History Museum, dedicated to St Margaret and the Dominican monastery on Margaret Island. The story and fate of Saint Margaret, the thirteenth-century saintly princess, has always captured the imagination of people interested in history. The exhibition offers visitors a selection of artifacts never before exhibited anywhere. The occasion for the exhibition is the 750th anniversary of Margaret's death in 2020, and the fact that in the last two decades our knowledge of the religious institution that was the home of the young princess of the Árpád dynasty has increased considerably. This is primarily thanks to the research of Eszter Kovács, who passed away in 2018 and who had carried out several small-scale excavations in the area of the Dominican monastery. This is how the fragments of wall paintings, probably dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, were found, which are on display for the first time in this exhibition.

Margaret, the daughter of King Béla IV, was born in 1242 at the time of the Mongol invasion.  We know that she was brought up as a child in the Dominican monastery in Veszprém, which had been founded shortly before, and at the age of 10, she was transferred to the monastery on Margaret Island, which her parents had built. During her canonization process, the testimonies of her contemporaries, recorded in 1276, tell of her dedicated, sacrificial, and self-sacrificing lifestyle, her unending faith in Christ, and the miracles that took place in her life and at her tomb. Margaret's role model was her aunt, the sister of Béla IV, St Elizabeth of Hungary, who was canonized as early as 1235.

Despite all attempts and royal support, Margaret's canonization was not achieved in the Middle Ages. It was her brother, Stephen V, who was the first to attempt this: but neither he, nor Ladislas IV, nor their successors from the House of Anjou were successful. We don't know exactly when she was elevated to the Blessed, but there are many records of this from the 15th century and we also know of many medieval depictions of Margaret. Her cult in Hungary developed soon after her death: she was buried in front of the main sanctuary of the Dominican church, and later an ornate white marble sarcophagus was made for her body, with reliefs depicting her miraculous deeds. Based on her oldest legend and the canonization records, further versions of the legend were written, and a Hungarian-language version was produced at the end of the Middle Ages. The veneration of St Margaret has been almost unbroken over the centuries. Her relics and bones were taken to Pozsony (Bratislava) by the nuns in the 16th century to escape the Ottoman threat. Most of the bones were lost in the 18th century, but perhaps her most famous relic, her penitential belt, has survived, and its ornate reliquary box and an authentic replica of the medieval object can also be admired in the exhibition. Also on display is the funerary crown of King Stephen V (Margaret's brother), also buried on Margaret Island, from the collection of the Hungarian National Museum, the discovery of which in 1838 marked the start of systematic excavations of the monastery ruins.

Funerary crown of King Stephen V (Hungarian National Museum)

Thanks to the excavations, the extent of the former monastery and its church is well-known, and it has been possible to reconstruct the most important phases of its construction. Among the spectacular results of the recent research are the fragments of wall paintings, most of which can now be seen by the public for the first time thanks to the restoration work of Eszter Harsányi. Wall paintings have been found in several parts of the monastery, including the small room where the staircase leading from the monastery to the nuns' choir was located in the late Middle Ages. The colorful pieces of plaster fragments preserving halos and faces hint at the relationship of St Margaret and her fellow nuns to images: her legend describes the role of Calvary images and other representations in her prayer and contemplation. 

Imitation marble painting from the monastery building

Ignác Roskovics: Saint Margaret (for the Royal Palace)

When the nuns were forced to flee from the Ottoman attacks in the sixteenth century, the monastery complex became abandoned. It was only used during sieges, for example as a field hospital during the recapture of Buda in 1686. The greatest destruction, however, was not caused by the wars, but by the landscaping of the island in the 19th century, when the owner of the area, Archduke Joseph of Austria, had it turned into an English garden. Like so many other monuments of the Hungarian Middle Ages, our image of the Dominican monastery on Margaret Island must be pieced together from small fragments. The current state of research on Saint Margaret and her cult was presented at a conference organized jointly by the Apostolic Congregation of the Dominican Sisters, the Károli Gáspár Reformed University, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, while the Budapest History Museum has collected the material relics essential for the reconstruction. The exhibition will allow us to recall the figure of Saint Margaret and the monastery where she spent most of her life and which became the center of her cult.

The curator of the exhibition is Ágoston Takács. This text is based on the speech I gave at the opening of the exhibition on November 17, 2022. The exhibition is on view until March 19, 2023.

Zsombor Jékely speaking at the opening ceremony - Photo by Magyar Kurír

The oldest dated roof structure in Transylvania and some 14th-century frescoes at Magyarvista

A press conference was dedicated to the church of Magyarvista (Viștea, Romania) at the László Teleki Foundation, to announce the result of recent investigations inside the medieval church of the village. The following overview is written on the basis of the press release. The Calvinist church of Magyarvista in Cluj County is one of the most famous medieval monuments in Transylvania and the area of Kalotaszeg. The stone-built, single-nave, square-apsed building with a Romanesque western doorway was probably built at the end of the 13th century. The first documentary mention of the village dates back to 1229, and in 1291 it became the property of the Transylvanian bishopric as a royal donation. The church is richly decorated with painted woodwork, the outstanding features of which are the converted late Gothic priest's chair, the coffered ceiling above the nave supported by a beam and a wooden column, the pews, the doorways of the south and west entrances, the altar, the pulpit, and the pulpit crown. An 18th-century belfry rises next to the building, the oldest bell in it dating from 1487, from the time of Matthias. During the last year the exterior masonry of the church has been strengthened, plastered and the roof structure repaired, as has the belfry.

The building's hidden treasures had been highlighted by several research findings: in 1913, István Gróh documented in watercolor copies ten scenes of mural paintings located in the nave (they could not be restored and displayed at the time), and in 1935, semicircular foundation walls were found within the demolished sacristy, which may be part of a demolished medieval round church. One of the scenes copied by Gróh was found in 2008 on the south wall of the nave, and next to it, on two sides of the south-east corner, two related, previously unknown scenes were revealed: a three-figure Crucifixion and an image of St Longinus with an attendant. The wall painting on the south wall, depicting a storm-tossed ship of pilgrims, dates from around 1400, while the images in the corner date from the early 14th century. It has also been found that the painting of the corner was originally placed under a canopy and formed the decoration of an altar there - there are very few similar canopied altarpieces from medieval Hungary.

In 2022, with the support of the László Teleki Foundation, the uncovery of the mural paintings in the semicircular triumphal arch continued, and art historical research was also carried out. In this context, it was suggested that the interesting stone frame of the southern entrance and the square sanctuary are not Romanesque but late Gothic, as confirmed by some analogies of the frame of the sacristy door, and that the ribbed vault with the 1498 inscription on the keystone of the sanctuary is not the result of a later intervention, but this whole structure was, in fact, built at that time. 

The excavation of the mural revealed a scene of the Annunciation on the eastern wall above the triumphal arch: on the left, a fragmentary figure of the Archangel Gabriel and the Lord, and on the right, a small detail of the standing figure of Mary can be discerned. The Annunciation, arranged on the right and left sides of the triumphal arch, has many foreign and local analogies: Palermo, Cappella Palatina, Reichenau-Oberzell, St. George's Church, Padua, Scrovegni Chapel, Karaszkó, Disznajó, etc. The scene belongs to the plaster layer of the early 14th century.

The research on the inside of the triumphal arch was also a surprise: the upper fragment of the figure of the Maiestas Domini, set in a mandorla in the center, was preserved: its continuation was on the vault of the demolished original sanctuary, which was much smaller than the one we have today. Thus, the fragment of the mural also proves that the present sanctuary is secondary compared to the nave. The figure of Christ was accompanied by the symbols of the four evangelists, two of whom, the eagle (John) and perhaps the angel (Matthew), the latter holding an open book, partially survive. The book's minuscule inscription is partly legible and contains a line from John's Revelation.  The painting continued on the side wall with the gallery of the apostles, of which 2-3 figures have been preserved, among them St Andrew can be recognized from the X-shaped cross. 

Stylistically, the mural paintings of the triumphal arch are in a style well known in Transylvania, usually called Italo-Byzantine without distinction. Analogies appear in many other places: Csíkszentimre, Felvinc, Boroskrakkó, Szék, Ördöngösfüzes, etc. Although this spectacular style is called Italo-Byzantine by some scholars, because of its widespread use it is more correct to speak of a Central European Gothic tendency using the Italian tradition of the Duecento period. The exact dating of the wall paintings of this group is (was) problematic, as no historical data, inscriptions or other information of any kind was available for any of the buildings, so the dating of the monuments oscillated in the literature from the 1310s to the 1340s. For this reason, the restorer's observation that the plaster of the fresco was in contact with the ceiling and, through it, the roof, was of particular importance. Dendrochronological analysis of the wooden elements of the ceiling can ideally be used to date the mural with annual (or even seasonal) precision, which can provide a post quem (later than ...) date for the mural. With the support of the László Teleki Foundation, this very important study was carried out, which revealed that one of the trees of the structure, which can be dated precisely, was cut in the winter of 1329-30 so that the construction of the structure could have taken place as early as 1330, and the wall paintings cannot be earlier than that. This date applies to the central beam supporting the wooden ceiling as well as the wooden pier in the center of the nave. Some parts of the original roof structure also date from this period. This information puts a secure dating to the Magyarvista wall paintings, and also to the entire circle of monuments

The dendrochronological research was carried out in the autumn of 2022 by the Anno Domini Dendrolab team from Csíkszereda, on the initiative of the wall painting restorers and art historians who were researching in the church. The study and subsequent laboratory analysis proved that the longitudinal central beam and the carved column supporting it in the nave date back to the 14th century, from the years 1329-30. The ring analysis of the beams built into the stone gable walls and of some elements of the present mid-17th century roof structure also indicated that the nave itself and its earlier roof structure were built at this time. In this case, the dating is year-specific, with oak felled in the winter of 1329/1330 being used for the former roof structure.

The dendrochronological research shows that the wooden roof of the nave and the former roof structure of the church in Magyarvista, as well as the column and the master beam supporting them, were built in 1330, making it the oldest surviving roof and slab structure in Transylvania, according to our present knowledge. The 14th-century roof structure can most probably be reconstructed on the basis of elements reused from the earlier structure when the present roof was built, but further field research and measurements are needed. 

This discovery of particular importance encourages further research into wall painting, dendrochronology, archaeology, and art history, which we hope will take place in 2023. Hopefully, we will still get to see one day the fresco decoration of the church of Magyarvista.

Research and restoration of Magyarvista were done by Lóránd Kiss, Zsolt Sólyom, Melinda Filep, Janka Melinda Oláh, Károly Sipos (wall painting restoration, Imago Picta, Târgu Mures), Boglárka Tóth, István Botár, Denis Walgraffe (dendrochronology, Anno Domini Dendrolab, Csíkszereda), Attila Weisz (art history). Text by Loránd Kiss, Boglárka Tóth, Attila Weisz. Photos courtesy of Attila Weisz.

The Age of the Árpád Dynasty - The missed opportunity of the Székesfehérvár exhibition

The year 2022 marks the 800th anniversary of the issuance of the Golden Bull by King Andrew II.  Issued at the 1222 Diet held at Fehérvár, the Golden Bull is one of the cornerstones of the medieval Hungarian constitutional system and its anniversary created a perfect opportunity to organize a major exhibition dedicated to Hungary's first ruling house, the Árpád Dynasty. Such an exhibition has been planned for at least a decade and curators at the Hungarian National Museum have prepared a proposal for a major exhibition with international loans. In 2017 government support came, along with the decision that the exhibition should be held at Székesfehérvár, to mark the anniversary of the Golden Bull and to inaugurate a newly renovated museum building belonging to the King Saint Stephen Museum. Curators were appointed from both institutions and the long work of securing loans and preparing a catalog was began. At the beginning of 2019 a new government-funded institution, the Institute of Hungarian Research started its operations. The Minister of Human Resources (in charge of cultural affairs) delegated this Institute to the consortium preparing the exhibition. Work continued and the scheduled date of opening was nearing - although the renovation of the Székesfehérvár museum building was not yet completed.

Installation view

Then late in December of 2021, Miklós Kásler, Minister of Human Resources - in agreement with the newly appointed director of the Hungarian National Museum, László L. Simon - announced in an email that the appointment of the curators (Etele Kiss, Ágnes Ritoók, and Erika Simonyi of the Hungarian National Museum) is being withdrawn, and Miklós Makoldi of the Institute of Hungarian Research is appointed as the new curator of the exhibition. Making such a move three months before the opening of a major exhibition is quite surprising even in Hungary and naturally, a scandal broke out. Given the fact that Miklós Makoldi, an archeologist without a doctorate and any relevant museum-related expertise was about to take over the results of three years of work by a team of experienced museum curators, many scholars decided that they no longer wish to participate in such a project. In the end, 25 scholars signed an open letter, withdrawing their contributions from the catalog of the exhibition (which was already nearing completion). In this situation, many people doubted that the exhibition could be opened at all. In the end, the exhibition - titled Kings and Saints, The Era of the Árpád Dynasty - opened on March 18, 2022, in a former monastery turned into a museum at Székesfehérvár. Due to the circumstances, however, the result amounts to a monumental missed opportunity.

The Monomachos Crown (Hungarian National Museum)

Let me explain in detail. Makoldi, the new curator of the exhibition, had no chance or time to change the concept of the exhibition. He only modified three rooms of the exhibition, mainly to remove references to the non-Hungarian population of medieval Hungary (including Carolingians and Slavs from the first section dealing with the Hungarian conquest and a chapter about Muslims, Jews, and various Eastern nomadic people living in the Kingdom of Hungary). You can read the explanation of the Institute and see for yourself. In any case, the new curator worked with the original synopsis and object list - taking over other people's work, if you will. However, the original concept could not be realized. Several important loans did not make it to Székesfehérvár (the Cross of Adelheid from Lavantall is one such object mentioned in the press, but there are many others). It is hard to tell what role the scandal played in the case of missing loans - I think the venue in Székesfehérvár may also have played a role in this. Not the address itself, but the fact that the museum building in Székesfehérvár was completed just a few weeks before the opening of the exhibition, so lenders could not verify that it is up to international standards needed for sensitive objects. 

Lehel's horn from Jászberény

Enklopion from Maastricht

The exhibition mounted with the remaining objects still contains many highlights and presents a good overview of Árpád-age Hungary. According to the original concept, the objects are arranged in 17 sections, ranging from the period of the Hungarian Conquest to an overview of saints from the Árpád Dynasty. The website of the exhibition (a work in progress at the time of writing) lists the chapters. Many of the highlights - the Monomachos Crown, the crown with lilies from Margaret Island, or some stone carvings - come from the Hungarian National Museum. There are important objects from Székesfehérvár and other Hungarian museums (such as the Lehel's horn/olifant from Jászberény).  A number of recent archaeological finds - such as a reliquary and other finds from Pétermonostora - are on view. There are numerous foreign loans as well: the sword of Saint Stephen from Prague, stone carvings from former monasteries now located in Serbia or Romania, important manuscripts from various libraries, a flag with the double-cross of the Árpád Dynasty from Bern, or even the tombstone of the Blessed Elisabeth of Töss, daughter of King Andrew III (from the Landesmuseum in Zürich). True highlights, such as the 12th century double cross in the Dommuseum of Salzburg and especially the highly sophisticated 13th-century court goldsmith works (the Zaviš-cross, the cross made from diadems in Cracow or the Bern (Königsfelden) diptych) are sadly missing from the exhibition. Granted, such loans are extremely hard to secure and not all of these objects were even envisioned in the original scenario of the exhibition - but such an exhibition is a one-time chance in a generation and this chance was sadly missed. 

A display of stone carvings

The exhibition also does not take advantage of being in Székesfehérvár. Although there are references to the royal basilica dedicated to the Virgin - the coronation church and most important burial place of Hungarian kings - the actual site of the church was closed at the time of my visit (although supposedly it is open daily from April 1st). The highly important Árpád-period stone carvings from this church remain largely inaccessible - a museum scheduled to become their new home will open only by the end of the year.

 

Finds from Pétermonostora

Moreover, it is obvious that the new curator and his team scrambled to put the exhibition together in the three months at their disposal. As there is no list of the exhibition team, it is hard to tell who did what, but two weeks after the opening day, the exhibition looked half-finished. All the rooms are darkly lit (even rooms with stone carvings and goldsmith objects), the object labels are quite impossible to read and some of them are even missing. Some key objects are placed in dark corners or close to the floor, or at the back of large showcases. The larger exhibition graphics are unnecessary and badly designed in general: a section of the Bayeaux tapestry stands in to illustrate 11th-century battles in Hungary, the Legend of Saint Ladislas from the Hungarian Angevin Legendary was adapted to a graphic of a fake medieval stained glass window series, some kings lifted from the 14th-century Illuminated Chronicle are mislabeled, etc. There is no explanation for the complete lack of any information in English in the exhibition. There are some interactive video screens - but no new content was developed for them, they simply show films recycled from other venues and exhibitions. Of course, there is no catalog in any language or any publication whatsoever, due to the lack of authors (see above). All this makes it impossible to reach any kind of international impact with the exhibition All this despite the 506 million HUF (about 1,3 million euros) budget from government support dedicated to the exhibition. A missed opportunity, indeed.

13th-century crown from Margaret Island, HNM

Despite these significant shortcomings, do visit the exhibition if you get a chance. Objects that are otherwise hard to see and some highlights are definitely worth a visit. The original concept of the exhibition can still be followed (as long as you read Hungarian...) and Székesfehérvár is only about 45 minutes from Budapest by train. The exhibition will be on view until June 15, 2022.

Fragments from the tomb of Queen Gertrude, from Pilis Abbey

14th-century reliquary of St. Stephen from Aachen

(photos my own, taken with permission)

Restoration of the Medieval Church of Sóly

The restoration of the medieval church of Sóly was finally completed after two decades of research and renovation. The village of Sóly is located near Veszprém and its church was first mentioned in 1009, in the foundation charter of the bishopric of Veszprém, issued by King Saint Stephen. There is a theory that Sóly is the location where the young Stephen defeated Koppány in 997, three years before his coronation. The present church, however, dates from the 13th century and was dedicated to St. Stephen Protomartyr. Archeological research identified the traces of an earlier, wooden church under the present edifice. The 13th-century building consists of a simple one-aisled nave and a rectangular sanctuary. The place was turned into a fortress at the time of the Ottoman occupation. From this period, a number of burials have been found inside the building. The damaged building was finally restored in 1706 and was embellished several times. By this time, the community and their church were Calvinist. Rich painted ornamental frames decorate the windows, embellished with biblical verses. In 1724, a painted wooden gallery was installed in the nave, and the church was adorned with painted coffered ceilings as well. As these elements were purchased and installed by the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest during the 1890s, they were now recreated in the form of copies. The original wooden balustrade in the sanctuary of the church, however, was at this occasion returned to the church. The western tower of the church was built in 1903.

Inside the nave of the church, a medieval fresco of the Crucifixion was uncovered in 2018. The stylistic features of this painting and the Cosmatesque border decoration around it indicate that it was painted in the 14th century. Possibly it was part of a larger cycle - but no other paintings have been found in the church. The newly restored church was ceremoniously opened on March 20, 2022. Contact the pastor to visit.

Crucifixion fresco in the nave

Here is a small video of the restored church.