Csenger grew to become one of the most significant towns in the historical Szatmár County during the Middle Ages. It is probable that the construction work of the church began after 1322, and was completed in the second quarter of the century. Csenger’s medieval church is the only architectural heritage of the Great Plain’s medieval monumental architecture.
A crescent-shaped triumphal arch divides the rectangular nave from the sanctuary which is formed by five sides of an octagon. The sanctuary has a wagon roof, and a fabulous painted cassette-style wooden ceiling covers the nave. A monumental hexagon-shaped six-storey tower is attached to the church, which has been preserved in its original state.
The painted cassette-style wooden ceiling of the nave, which was created in 1745, is as well-known in Europe as it is in Hungary. The floral motifs on it refer to the earliest periods of Hungarian history. The wooden ceiling consists of 9x14 complete cassettes and a half row of cassettes. The oldest relic of this kind in the Upper Tisza region from 1745. The painted motifs of its square-shaped cassettes preserve Renaissance traditions.
The current pulpit has been installed almost exactly in its medieval position. Its bricked breast-wall is decorated with geometric mortar panels. The “crown” of the pulpit is far more simple and lower in position, compared to the baroque relics of the churches in the surroundings. (It is a sound reflector rather than a crown.) It was created in 1840, in Classicist style. On its ceiling, above the head of the pastor, the dove of the Holy Spirit levitates. The gallery and the pews were created in the 18th century. It is worth walking up and adoring the 200-year-old oak pews.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.