Holy Trinity Chapel – Lendavske Gorice (Lendvahegy)
The Baroque chapel on the vine-covered hill above Lendava is one of the most unusual monuments of Prekmurje. Its crypt holds a naturally mummified body which local tradition regards as one of the heroic defenders of Lendava castle.
The chapel was built by the Gludovácz family in 1728 and now belongs to the parish of Lendava. A military watch post that guarded the town once stood on the site. The chapel is surrounded by Lendava's oldest cemetery with finely crafted old gravestones.
When the foundations were being laid, a wooden coffin containing a man's body was found. In the well-ventilated crypt on a hilltop with limestone soil, the body mummified naturally, without embalming, and it can still be seen in the chapel. According to tradition it is that of Captain Mihály Hadik, who fought in the defence of Lendava castle in 1603; some researchers dispute this identification.
Pilgrimage feast: The titular feast of the chapel is Trinity Sunday.
Visiting: The chapel stands a short walk from the centre of Lendava, on the slope of Lendavske gorice (Lendvahegy), with a fine view over the town and the Mura plain. Before visiting, it is worth enquiring at the tourist information office in Lendava.
Sources: Wikipedia · Documenta Pannonica
Photo: Lanfra / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Ljuba brank / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Town:
Lendava (Lendva)