St Michael's Cathedral – Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár)
The mother church of Transylvanian Catholicism: the see of the Transylvanian bishopric founded by King Saint Stephen, and since 1991 the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár). The oldest and longest cathedral in Romania and the resting place of the Hunyadis, Queen Isabella and Bishop Áron Márton.
The church destroyed during the Mongol invasion of 1241 was rebuilt on the old foundations in the mid-13th century, in a style transitional between Romanesque and Gothic. The three-aisled church is 83 metres long, 38 metres wide and 19 metres high, and its ground plan preserves the features of medieval Romanesque basilicas.
John Hunyadi also contributed to the restoration after the Ottoman raid of 1439: the Gothic extension of the sanctuary and the ornate west portal are linked to his name, and in accordance with his last wishes he was buried here. The Hunyadi tombs can be seen in the south aisle; the identification of the tombs attributed to the governor and to Ladislaus Hunyadi is uncertain, and after repeated plundering they are empty today.
The north aisle holds the richly decorated marble tomb of Queen Isabella and her son John Sigismund, and to the left of the main entrance is the tomb of Friar George (Martinuzzi). In the early 16th century the Lászai Chapel, combining Gothic and Renaissance elements, was built, together with the chapel of Bishop Ferenc Várday dedicated to Saint Anne.
Of special importance to pilgrims is the stone sarcophagus of Bishop Áron Márton (1896–1980). It was blessed and placed in the southern side chapel on 29 September 2016, so that the faithful can visit it more easily – his earlier resting place in the crypt was difficult to reach.
Pilgrimage feast: The patronal feast of the cathedral and the archdiocese is held on the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, 29 September.
Visiting: The cathedral stands within the Alba Carolina citadel in Alba Iulia, next to the archbishop's palace. For Mass times and visiting options, check the website of the archdiocese.
Sources: Wikipedia · Magyar Kurír · Archdiocese of Alba Iulia
Photo: -wuppertaler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 · Photo: Codrinb / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro
Town:
Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár)