Franciscan Friary – Mikháza
The Franciscan friary of Mikháza and its church, dedicated to King St Stephen, stand in the Nyárád valley in Mikháza, part of the commune of Nyárádremete. Its foundation is linked to the history of the Catholic revival in Transylvania.
In 1630 the Catholic Status of Transylvania asked the Bosnian Franciscan province for friars, and in 1635 Mihály Tholdalagi, chief captain of Marosszék, bought a house and land for them.
Under the guardianship of János Kájoni, from 1666 the old friary was replaced by a two-storey stone building and the chapel was enlarged into a church. The church was completed in 1678 – as recorded by the inscription on the west façade – and consecrated in 1692 with five altars. The late Renaissance building is adorned with sgraffito decoration and stone frames of a beauty rare in Transylvania.
From 1669 a secondary school operated in the friary for more than a century. Beneath the church lies a double crypt, and memorial plaques of the Torma and Bornemisza families on its walls commemorate the patrons. In 1949 the Franciscans were forced to leave the friary.
Today Mikháza is an important station and starting point of the Via Mariae.
Visiting: for an on-site visit it is best to arrange in advance; a virtual tour of the friary is also available on the Visit Mures website. More on pilgrimage routes: On the way – Pilgrimage routes of Szeklerland.
Photo: Țetcu Mircea Rareș / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro
Town:
Mikháza (Călugăreni)