Ruins of Benedictine Abbey, Miskolc
The Hungarian city of Miskolc has a long and exciting history. It is displayed in architecture and in the remains of ancient historical buildings. Here, even the foundation of one of the first buildings – the Benedictine abbey has been preserved.
History of Benedictine Abbey
There are very few written sources about the early history of the Benedictine Abbey of Miskolc. The exact year of its foundation, as well as the time of the construction of the temple is unknown. In 2013, Otto Hermann City Museum conducted excavations in the area of the alleged location of the former abbey. As a result, a 12th-century church was discovered with a single-breasted, horseshoe-shaped sanctuary and a monastery building on the south side. In the west of the abbey the ruins of the mansion of the city's founders (the Miskolc family) were also found.
The scientists managed to establish that the Benedictine church was built on a platform somewhere in the 11th century. In its form it was a rotunda – a round temple. It is believed that it could serve as the parish church of this locality. In the rotunda, the founder of the abbey was buried, and later this part of the church, along with its entire northern side, became closed, and until the end of the 13th century only representatives of the local nobility were buried there.
In the 13th century due to climate change, which caused an increase in the amount of precipitation, the groundwater level increased significantly. The floor of the Benedictine church was flooded. To raise the inner level of the building above, the monks fortified it with clay and resin. This protected the interior for a while.
In 1532, the Benedictine abbey ceased to exist, and the church remained in desolation. The locals took advantage of this. The stone walls were dismantled so much that by the end of the 19th century it was impossible to find out where the temple used to be. Only the tower remained, which was used as a wine cellar.
After excavations and a small restoration, it was possible to restore only the foundation on which it is possible to presumably judge the appearance and form of the temple.
How to get there
The ruins of the Benedictine abbey are in the district of Miskolc-Tapolca, near the Cave Bath. You can get here by bus number 2 from Búza-ter station.
