The country's second largest church is being renovated

Last week, one of the most important buildings in Pápa was scaffolded. Pápa's two-towered late Baroque-Copf church was built between 1774 and 1786, designed by Jakab Fellner. The church is now in a very poor state of repair, so the first phase of the reconstruction will involve strengthening the structural integrity of the country's second largest church and repairing the slab. Only then can the restoration of the façade begin.

It was announced two years ago that the Great Church would be renovated from the inside out with significant government support, and in the meantime, experts have carried out a full survey of the building and prepared the groundwork for the renovation. At this morning's press conference, in addition to the work already carried out, the audience was also able to learn about the tasks awaiting the contractor Kőrös Bau Kft..

Protecting the structure is the first

On 21 July 2023, the archdiocese received a heritage protection permit for the structural reinforcement of the parish church, as the contractor has to carry out structural reinforcement works in Phase I of the church's renovation prior to the originally planned renovation works - based on a static expert opinion. During the structural design of the church, a significant number of cracks (up to several centimetres) were found in the masonry of the church (walls, vaults, arches, attic).

In order to preserve the masonry structures of the church for as long as possible, the structural analysis recommends the use of prestressing cables, which can effectively ensure the longitudinal, transverse and coronal connection of the church. Accordingly, the following works could not be postponed: reinforcement of the roofs of the nave, the sanctuary and the tower (replacement of wooden elements, installation of tension rods), in-wall tension cable reinforcement of the walls and arches.

The ceiling of our largest baroque church also needs renovation

The slab structure of the building also needs to be reinforced, with a significant amount of timber replacement and steel reinforcement. Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed in the first half of next year, at the same time as the renovation of the façade.

The size of the church and the problems of the building also mean that the scale of the renovation is beyond the capacity of the local community and the diocese. However, it is a building of great importance, which not only represents artistic and cultural value, but is also indispensable for the parish community, said Archbishop György Udvardy, thanking the government for its support. Mayor Dr. Tamás Áldozó called the Papal Great Church a point of reference, visible from almost every corner of the city. The mayor added that the area around the church has changed a lot in the last 10 years, the Main Square, the Esterházy Castle and the castle fence have been renewed, and the renewal of the church can be interpreted as the culmination of this process, as a result of which we will see a building that no living person has ever seen before.