The Reformed-Calvin Church of Old Turda

 

The Reformed-Calvin Church of Old Turda (in Hungarian: Ótordai Reformatus Templom) is the oldest preserved monument in Turda, located in the center of the city, at 1 Hașdeun Street, near Republic Square, the former lapidary and the History Museum. The Reformed-Calvin Church of Old Turda is listed on the list of historical monuments in Cluj County, compiled by the Romanian Ministry of Culture in 2015 (code LMI CJ-II-m-A-07793).

The original church

The first church on this site was Roman Catholic, built in the 14th century with the patronage of St. Mary. This church is mentioned in an old papal tax registry from 1332, as being led by priest Peter from "Antiqua Thorda" (Old Turda). The building of the first church consisted of a hall with a tower (located on the south side) and a choir located on the east side.

The current church

The current building was built at the beginning of the 15th century during the reign of Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387-1437), also sovereign of the Kingdom of Hungary, on the site of the old church. The church was designed in the Gothic style, with a single aisle, 26 meters long, 8.5 meters wide and 16 meters high. Initially it was longer, with 5-10 meters, having the usual choir/altar towards the east (respectively towards Republic Square), with cross-shaped ogival arches, which was demolished during the construction of the fortification (the church no longer fit inside the defensive walls, being placed crosswise to the fortress; the choir/altar had to be sacrificed by 5-10 meters; this explains the unusual and unsightly appearance of the east facade of the church, lacking the choir/altar and the original Gothic portal). In place of the demolished choir, a bell tower was erected in the 17th century on the new fortification wall, which collapsed in 1862 (the foundation gave way). 

 

The 60 meter tall Clock Tower (the emblematic symbol of the city of Turda) was built between 1904-1906.

The west and north facades of the church are the most aesthetically pleasing. The west facade, with its entrance framed by an ornate portal, has elements typical of Gothic style from the beginning of the 15th century. In the axis of the west facade is a portal, finished in a broken arch. The western portal is decorated with oak leaf motifs. The north facade features five buttresses and a secondary portal (permanently closed). The interior of the church was damaged in a fire in the 17th century. The interior decoration is mostly the result of subsequent renovations.

The church (originally Roman Catholic) was converted in 1564 (to this day) to the Reformed-Calvinist confession.

Fortifications around the church

After the great Tatar invasion of 1241 and the devastation caused to the city of Turda by subsequent Tatar and Turkish attacks, defensive fortifications were built in the following centuries around the three main churches in the city: the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformed-Calvinist Church in Turda-Veche and the Reformed-Calvinist Church in Turda-Noua.