Church of the Assumption – Turnišče (Bántornya)
The most important pilgrimage church of Prekmurje consists of two buildings: the present three-aisled basilica was added in 1914 to the medieval old church covered with frescoes. Since 2007 it has been the central pilgrimage site of the Diocese of Murska Sobota.
The church is already mentioned in the 13th century, and the parish was founded in 1302. A Gothic nave was added to the Romanesque sanctuary in the 14th century, so the two periods are still clearly distinguishable in the old church.
The greatest treasure of the old church is the fresco cycle painted by Johannes Aquila in 1383. The master from Radkersburg also painted several other churches in the area – including those of Velemér, Martjanci (Mártonhely) and Fürstenfeld – and his paintings in Turnišče include scenes from the legend of Saint Ladislaus. The Hungarian Catholic Lexicon counts them among the outstanding monuments of the veneration of Saint Ladislaus in the western borderlands.
Pilgrimages flourished after the Ottoman wars, in the first half of the 18th century, and Turnišče has remained the Marian shrine of the region ever since. The growing number of pilgrims made the 1914 extension necessary.
Pilgrimage feast: The main pilgrimage is on the feast of the Assumption, 15 August.
Visiting: Turnišče is a short drive from both Lendava and Murska Sobota. To see the frescoes of the old church – especially with a group – it is worth arranging a visit with the parish in advance.
Sources: Hungarian Catholic Lexicon · Documenta Pannonica · Wikipedia
Photo: Janezdrilc / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 · Photo: Brigitte from Österreich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Town:
Turnišče (Bántornya)