Church of the Assumption and Rotunda – Bíňa (Bény)
The two Árpád-era churches of Bíňa (Bény) by the Hron – the twin-towered Premonstratensian church and the rotunda beside it – are among the most valuable medieval monuments of the region. The great majority of the villagers are still Hungarian.
The twin-towered church dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built before 1217. According to tradition it was founded by Count Omode before he joined the crusade of King Andrew II in 1217–1218; it is first mentioned in the 1273 will of his son, Master Stephen. The late Romanesque building is one of the first churches in Hungary to show Gothic elements – polygonal apses and rib vaulting.
In 1683 Polish troops returning from Vienna captured and largely destroyed the buildings. During the Second World War an explosion destroyed the porch, most of the north tower and the upper part of the south tower; the church was restored between 1951 and 1955.
The circular brick rotunda next to the church has twelve semicircular niches in its inner wall; its dedication to the Twelve Apostles is first mentioned in documents of 1561. Of its frescoes, the images of the apostles date from around 1220 and the figures of saints from 1320–1350.
Visiting: Bíňa lies in the Hron valley, a short drive from Štúrovo (Párkány). To visit the churches, enquire in advance at the Roman Catholic parish of Bíňa.
Sources: Medieval Heritage – the church · Medieval Heritage – the rotunda · Slovakia.travel
Photo: Zello / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Taz666 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Town:
Bíňa (Bény)