The renovation of one of the most important Romanesque buildings in Hungary could be completed this year

In the spring of 2022, the reconstruction of the only intact Romanian-style abbey church in our country started. The abbey, founded by Bishop Kilit II of Eger in 1232 as a branch of the Cistercian monastery of Pilisszentkereszt, has been rebuilt several times. This is illustrated by the fact that, although almost the entire church is Romanesque, the main nave wall is Gothic and the southern side aisle is entirely 18th century, as is the undulating organ arch.

The monastery that once stood here had already been abandoned by the time of the Turkish occupation: the monastery walls had collapsed and the church had fallen into disrepair. After a long wait, its renovation finally began in 1737 with the support of the Bishop of Eger. A Baroque sacristy with a hipped roof was also built at the eastern end at this time. The Baroque reconstruction was consecrated in 1745, when the building became the parish church of Apátfalva. Our newspaper obtained information about the large-scale reconstruction from Cemix Hungary Kft., which supplied numerous products for the work.

The structure is ready

As the information revealed, the project is now at completion of 70%. According to the plans of architect Mihály Rudolf, the project will involve extending the existing reception building and building a new one to house a multi-purpose hall. It will house the organ, but will also include an exhibition space where the church's Baroque treasures, such as an exceptional Baroque confessional, will be displayed. Special solutions were needed to protect the structure of the building. Structural surveys showed that the building was literally held together by a miracle.

Paving is already underway in many places

The utility works and the roof structure of the church were completed, together with the reinforcements, which were also treated with a wood preservative. The tinsmithing works in 90 % are complete, with the church vestry roof renovation still to be completed. Stone restoration works are complete except for the west side,

Only the façade painting work remains to be done on the museum and visitor centre buildings, which will use Cemix SiliconOLA vapour permeable paint.

Cemix products for the most complex tasks

"Throughout our more than three decades of operation, our company has always strived to produce excellent products, and we have achieved this by offering excellent value for money and a wide range of services, developing a product range that is constantly adapted to the changing market needs"

- said Zoltán Papp, regional project manager of Cemix.

After personal consultations, they gave their professional advice on the use of the following materials for the renovation of the monument:

• Basecoats: MP 501 and Premium basecoat
• Thermal insulation base plaster: ISOPUTZ
• Gletti 6-30 and Gletti Extra
• Cladding: flex glue and RockFix /stone glue/
• Colours: white SilikatTOP facade paint and SiliconOLA K 1.5 mm and Edelputz Extra White 2mm.

The most important values of the interior (the altar of St. Imre, the oldest church organ in the country or the pulpit reminiscent of the era of Louis XVI), which are pure, free of vanity, imbued with clarity and dignity, reflecting the traditions of the Cistercian order, have been preserved and will be on display again in their full splendour after the reconstruction.

Work will now begin on the interior of the church, with the construction of the ventilation trench, followed by the installation of the interior cladding and monumental painting using Cemix products. The contractor is expected to complete the renovation by December.