Belényesy Károly: Pálos kolostorok az Abaúji-Hegyalján (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén megye régészeti emlékei 3. Miskolc, 2004)

PAULINE FRIARIES IN THE ABAÚJ HEGYALJA REGION

Earlier Research The location of the monastery is known, since the ruins of the church are still visible, four km east of Gönc, on the slope of the Dobogó Hill (Maps 6., 12., Picture 12.). The site is documented from the eighteenth century onwards.

108 In 1883, Imre Henszlmann visited the place, and argued that the church might be ranked "among our most beautifully decorated churches...". Unfortunately, its condition deteriorated. In 1935 Jenő Padányi wrote that "...inside the church there are still standing stone wall pillars in good repair. Moreover, there are the remains of a rose window, but it is about to ,, „ no collapse . Soon, the Society of Hungarian Tourists made attempts to preserve the ruins. In May 1936, Ernő Holbai presented the layout of the church, and noted the most critical parts for restoration (Fig 23). Later the inner architectural decorations and remains were surveyed (Fig 24.). The conservation and rebuilding of the church began in 1941."" Then, near the rose window, in the place of the destroyed wall section a pointed gate was built (Fig 25). Also two western frontal wall pillars were constructed. The stone-frames of the windows and the tops of the walls were strengthened (Fig 23). At that time the stone material of the monastery was used to put up the walls of the church. Not much later the condition of the building worsened again. In the late 1950s the local authorities planned the renovation of the ruin, but nothing happened."

3 In 1977 Erzsébet Cs. Tompos carried out an art historical survey of the monument for the National Bond for Hungary's Protection of Historic Monuments in (Országos Műemlékvédelmi Hivatal)."

4 Klára S. Homonnai finished the plan for the restoration and renovation of the complex in 1988.'

13 She suggested to renovate the most damaged parts of the building. Concerning the present state of the church, this work has not yet been carried out since then."

6 In the 1990s, Judit 108 Iványi, 1926 16-17. l0<) Henszlmann, 1884 190-091 110 Homonnay, 1988. * noua was a vine tax, the 'ninth', in fact the 'second' tenth part of the crop. 111 On this plan the monastic church was documented together with its monastic buildings. The authors named Victor Misovszky as the source of this information, therefore, I studied all material connected to him in the Archives of the OMVH. Unfortunately I could not find any documents about the Pauline monastery of Gönc. Parallel with the start of the work, a short article was published in the Technika periodical about the monastery, together with photos taken before the actual restoration. See Technika 1942, 162-163. 113 Tamási, 1990 3. 114 S. Homonnay, 1988 in the appendix and Tamási, 1990 7. 115 S. Homonnay, 1988. 116 The church ruins are in a very poor condition today. The southern wall is slanted, and the northern wall is splitted. There is a real danger that the building collapses without urgent help. The Tamási carried out a smaller excavation,"

7 when she investigated the nave of the church. Sondages were opened in lengthways, revealing the levels from the medieval period, however, they could nor clarify the architectural phases of the building.

118 Art historical scholarship has been analyzing the style of the church's remains for a long time; Henszlmann"

9 and Genthon dated the building to the late fourteenth century by.

120 Parallel examples to the bat wing-like corbels of the sanctuary can be found, in the Pauline church of Márianosztra. (Fig 26-28.) The fluted capitals of the wall piers compiled of arched segments resemble other remains of the Pauline architecture of the fourteenth century (Figs 29-30.). Similar Gönc- type ribs with grooved sticks can be found in the monastery of Dédes (Figs 29-31.). As to the layout of the church, it can be quoted as one of the best examples of the Pauline attempt at presenting a unified space organization at the end of the fourteenth century (Budaszentlörinc,

1

"

1 Szt. Kereszt,

122 Márianosztra,

123 Thal,

124 Dédes

125

).

126 Art historical studies debate that the chancel was consecrated in 1429, which date is inferred by documents. It is still not clear whether the form of the Gönc church is a direct appearance of late fourteenth century architectural element or it was a later but archaic composition of architectural features.

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" Tamás Guzsik argued that the church had been built in a longer period of time, because the excavations in 1990 revealed different foundation levels in the sanctuary.

128 The Monastery The church is approximately 28 m long, has one nave, with three sections, each covered with cross vaulting. The chancel ends with the three sides of the octagon. Buttresses were built at the chancel's corners and in the line of the inner wall piers of the nave. situation and future of the significant amount of carved stones presently piled up in the church ruins and lying in the bushes around the church is not solved either. 117 Tamási, 1990 7. 118 Due to the shortness of the excavation, it was not possible. 119 Henszlmann, 1884 190-091. 120 Genthon, 1961 108. 121 Bencze-Szekér, 1993 18-21. 1-2 Today Klastrompuszta, above Kesztölc. Kovalovszky, 1992. 123 MRT 9., 182-185. 124 Guzsik-Fehérvári, 1980 61.35. 125 Guzsik-Fehérvári. 1980 6. 12. 126 About this see Marosi, 1987 151., 398-399. 127 This was also discussed by Géza Entz and Ernő Marosi. See Marosi, 1987 398-399 and 529-531. 128 Tamás Guzsik even suggested that this ruin can be identical with the monastery and hospital of Telkibánya, which is mentioned by documents. This idea contradicts every fact that is known about the site. See Tamási, 1990 30-31

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