Unitarian waiting church – Székelyderzs
The monument complex located in Udvarhely region is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was built in the 15th century and its fortress walls date back to the 17th century. Its greatest value lies in the wall paintings from the 15th century that can be seen inside. Undoubtedly, the most significant of these is the series of paintings depicting the legend of Saint Ladislaus, which was painted in 1419 by the order of Ungi István’s son and is one of the best-preserved wall paintings of Saint Ladislaus.
The inner side of the castle wall was once surrounded by a killing gallery, which was demolished in 1788 when it was no longer needed for defence. An interesting feature of the fortress wall is that inside it were built colours where the villagers could store their belongings and where the village's store of grain could be kept. The bastions were used to store bacon and smoked meat.
Among the interesting features of the church is the brick inscription that was discovered in 1929 and is still visible today. Experts date its creation to sometime between 1274 and 1431. The inscription on the brick is disputed; according to one of the translations, it reads: Miklós Derzsi, father-priest.
The vaulting of the sanctuary is decorated with carved stones. Moving to the right of the pulpit, two lockstones can be seen above the priest’s chair depicting a frowning face. Following this, on the first lockstone is the coat of arms of the Székelydom region, on the second is an oak depicted in a coat of arms shield, and on the third is the coat of arms of the Petky family, which played a major role in the history of the construction of the church.
City:
Székelyderzs