Zombori István (szerk.): Nagy István emlékkönyv (Szeged, 1999)

MAROSVÁRI Attila: A kiszombori rotunda kutatástörténete

ATTILA MAROSVÁRI THE HISTORY OF RESEARCH OF THE ROTUNDA OF KISZOMBOR The rotunda of Kiszombor is the oldest Árpád period architectural structure in the south region of the Great Plain. Having a round external shape, this six-cornered church has a special place in the history of Hungarian architecture. It resembles churches located in the northern region of Hungary, for instance in Karcsa and Gerény. A structure with similar foundations was uncovered recently in the Kolozsmonostor excavations. Rotundas with similar shape can be found in the east, for instance, in Georgia or in the region that once belonged to the Byzantine Empire. It is this peculiarity that makes identification of the origin and function of this circular church structure more difficult despite extensive archaeological excavations. This study reviews the research that has been undertaken at the circular church of Kiszombor up to the present time. Looking at the data, it is easy to see that there were several attempts of rebuilding during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As a result, the rotunda was mutilated. This is unfortunate considering the time circumstances it has managed to survive: it remained entirely intact even during the Turkish devastation. Renovations during the first half of the twentieth century were only able to do a half job while attempting to restore the building to its original state. This was attempted only after the completion of the excavations by Károly Kozák during the middle of the seventies. The thorough excavation which uncovered the remains of an attached medieval structure did not provide a convincing and indisputable explanation as to the origin of the church. Prior to the excavation of 1975, two points of view developed about the origin of the circular church. The supporters of one of the theories (for instance, Tivadar Ortvay, Samu Borovszky, Károly Csányi, Géza Lux and Maria Hortensia Kiss) accepted the theory that the church was built during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Sharing this line of thought, there were some who believed that due to the eastern style of the building, there must have been a direct relationship between the rotunda and those Hungarian ancestors who stayed behind in the east (József Csemegi). However, excavations of the 1960's (by Katalin David and Vera Gervers-Molnár) brought to light certain evidence which suggests that the rotunda was built in the middle of the eleventh century. Their reasoning was adopted by many scholars (for example, Kornél Bakay, Gyula Kristó and György Györffy) who have expanded it also. Without a doubt, the excavation of Károly Kozák definitely defeated the hypothesis of the eleventh century construction and proved that it can be dated to the second half of the twelfth century. Although Kozák associated the origin of the rotunda (and the explanation of its eastern character) with the change of character of the local Johannites, there is no historical data to back this up. According to our knowledge of the Kolozsmonostor rotunda, which has come to light since the excavation of Kozák and has disproved his theory, we now know that the Kiszombor-Karcsa-Gerény type is frighteningly similar, yet in some respects distinctly different from the Kolozsmonostor rotunda. Of great similarity to the dating of the construction of the rotunda is the way scientists are also divided on the meaning of the frescoes dating from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. This essay also takes into account the hypotheses concerning this topic. One can see from the study that even today, there is no agreed hypothesis which is indisputable concerning the origin of the circular church and the iconography of the frescoes. Though there are more and more data coming to light, none provide indisputable evidence yet, therefore it is probable that there is still some time before science can provide specific answers as to the circumstances surrounding the construction of the Kiszombor circular church and its builders . 123