The monastery and the church dedicated to Mary Magdalene were built in Gothic style by the Pauline Order, the only monastic order founded in Hungary. An excavation in the 1960s exposed the complete monastery finding walls up to the height of 1 meter, while church walls reamined up to roof height.
The exact date of construction is unknown as originally it was a Romanesque church extended and remodelled by the Paulines. A document dated 1307 calls it 'Monastery of Köveskút'.
The monastery is one of the most intact ruins from medieval times with its high walls, arched windows and doorways as well as a stone well in its cloister.
The buildings were probably devastated in the mid-16th century, during a Turkish campaign, however, it had already been uninhabited earlier. It was left abandoned for centuries and in the 18th-19th centuries its stones were scavanged by locals to rebuild Salföld. The dam constructed by the monks on the nearly Burnót Creek was also scavenged at the same time.
In 2003 a picnic spot was established on the clearing at the ruins with tables, benches and a fire pit, and later, in 2004-2007 the ruins of the monastery were tidied too.
The ruins and surroundings have always been a popular tourist destination, but as Salföld with its refurbished authentic buildings is getting more and more favoured, the monastery is also becoming a more frequented place. It is around 2 kms from the southern tip of Salföld, so an easy walk with no elavation gain. From Salföldi Major a carriage ride service is also available. You can reach the ruins coming from Ábrahámhegy also, following the Red (P) markers from the train station (3 km) and a round trip via Folly Arboretum is a great option too.
References:Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.
The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).