St John the Baptist Parish Church – Târgu Mureș
The St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Marosvásárhely stands on the main square of the city, in the Rose Square – one of the most characteristic Baroque church buildings in Transylvania.
Its construction is linked to the Jesuits, who settled Marosvásárhelythere in 1702: initially in the house of Simon Boér, then in a chapel where they held mass. The foundation stone of the present church was laid in 1728. Its plans are attributed to the Jesuit Bálint Scherzer, the construction was directed by Hammer Konrád. The church was consecrated in 1750 by Transylvanian Bishop Antal Sztoyka; the statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier, two of the great saints of the Jesuit order, are located in the niches of the facade.
The most important piece of the interior is the main altar, made in 1755 by Anton Schuchbauer and Johannes Nachtigall, with the coat of arms of the main donor, the Haller family; the main altar painting depicts the Baptism of Christ. The pulpit was donated by Count Miklós Bethlen and his wife Krisztina Csáky, and is adorned with statues of the four evangelists. Among the side altars is Saint Ladislaus, as he draws water from a rock, and the altars of Saint Joseph, Saint John Nepomuk and Saint Antal of Padua. The stained glass windows were made in 1898, the frescoes in 1900, by Antal Szirmai.
The Church Art Museum attached to the church was established in 2002, and its permanent exhibition has been open to visitors since 2005. It is a historical curiosity that after the coronation of Ferenc II. Rakoczi in Marosvásárhely in 1707, a thanksgiving service was held in the Jesuit chapel located on the site of the present church.
Visit: The church is open during services and during the day; the parish provides information about the opening hours of the Church Art Museum. Another major church monument in the city is Reformated Catholic church.
City:
Marosvásárhely