Great church

Church of Saint Stephen the Martyr

Opposite the castle, on Fő tér, there is the Szent István Martyr Church, also known as the Great Temple.
Previously, a medieval Gothic basilica stood on the site of the building, and before that there was probably a smaller Romanesque church in this area. The former Gothic church was rendered unusable by a fire.

The construction of the present church began in 1771, at the expense of Count Károly Eszterházy, bishop of Eger, papal landowner, and it was built in 15 years. After the completion of the final decorations, Bishop József Pierer of Tinin consecrated the church on May 3, 1795. Jakab Fellner designed the church, and he also led the construction. However, due to his death in the meantime, József Grossmann took over the task.

The dimensions of the church are 42 meters long and 22 meters wide, the tower rises 72 meters above the city. Looking at the style of the building, it no longer really carries the characteristics of the over-decorated baroque, but is rather characterized by its late branch, reaching into classicism, the braid.

The church ceiling fresco is the work of Franz Anton Maulbertsch, which he created between 1781 and 1783. The paintings tell the story of the life of Saint István, the first martyr.

The church has four side altars, and the bones of St. Martial can be seen in the Virgin Mary chapel. Among the furnishings, it is worth mentioning the bronze baptismal font and the pulpit carved from Lebanese cedar, as well as the terracotta stations made by Lajos Cziráki.