Reformed Church – Huedin (Bánffyhunyad)
The Reformed church of Huedin (Bánffyhunyad) is the largest Reformed church in the Kalotaszeg region. With its 230 panels, its painted coffered ceiling is one of the largest of its kind in Transylvania, and since the restoration completed in 2021 its medieval frescoes can be seen again.
The north nave of the church was built in the 13th century, but archaeologists have also found the foundations of an even earlier, Árpád-era church. The tower originally served as a bastion, and the church walls were joined to it in the 16th century. The earthquake of 1765 caused serious damage: according to a memorial plaque, the south wall had to be rebuilt, and the ceiling was also damaged.
The church's greatest treasure is its painted wooden ceiling, made in three different periods. The oldest panels are those of the parapet of the young men's gallery, painted by János Asztalos of Gilău (Gyalu) in the late 17th century. The nave panels date from 1705, while the red, blue and white ceiling of the sanctuary was made in 1780 by the Umling workshop of Cluj, a family of Saxon origin.
The pulpit canopy was made by Péter Asztalos Csehi in 1748. The pulpit itself was carved by Dávid Sipos in the mid-18th century and was brought here in the late 1960s from the collapsed church of the deserted village of Drág in the Szilágyság (Sălaj) region – which is why the Rhédey and Wesselényi coats of arms on it have no connection with local history. The wall of the sanctuary also holds the wreath made by the congregation on the death of Lajos Kossuth.
The restoration, funded by an EU grant won in 2017 with contributions from the Hungarian government and the Reformed Church District of Transylvania, was completed on 30 September 2021. The medieval frescoes on the north wall were restored, and the sanctuary windows were returned to their original size. During the works, in 2019, an untouched crypt more than four hundred years old, linked to the Bánffy family, was discovered.
Visiting: Huedin lies about 50 km west of Cluj-Napoca on main road DN1 (E60) and is a good starting point for visiting the village churches of the Kalotaszeg region.
Sources: Maszol – Transylvania's finest · Reformed Church District of Transylvania
Photo: Țetcu Mircea Rareș / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Țetcu Mircea Rareș / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Town:
Huedin (Bánffyhunyad)
