Mezősiné Kozák Éva: A vértesszentkereszti apátság (Művészettörténet - műemlékvédelem 5. Országos Műemlékvédelmi Hivatal, 1993)

Angol nyelvű összefoglaló

Vértesszentkereszt Benectine Abbey One of the most precious relics of our Roman Times architecture is the Vértesszentkereszt Benectine Abbey that was built on a remote, prominent point of the Vértes mountains. It's only come to the focus of scientific interest in the past thirty years. The church's ground-plan, especially its choir-solution is unique regarding the Hungarian material. The build-up of the building the elaboration of the wall surfaces, the execution of the details show experienced, highly qualified masters. On some parts of the carved details the representational and ornamental forms dominate strongly, referring to, and characteristic of the mature Romanesque art, but there can also be found early Gothic characteristic features coming from Ile-de France, Champagne, Burgundia, and what is more, relationsships with South Germany are also tracable on many of the details. During the research between 1964 and 1971 and in 1987 the excavation of the church was completed, and the carved stone-material that came to light was richer than expected. The research spread over to the further parts of the building. Lying north from the splendid Benedectine Abbey the church with a square termination and the adjoining cloister from the south, and the Benedectine later Dominican cloister building located between the two churches, having been set up through many periods, had also been brought to surface by the long years lasting research work. Besides identifying the ground-plan system of the side-wings and defining their place in the history of architecture and the style criticism, there opened a possibility to get a glimpse into the life of a medieval monastery, relying upon the excavated rich finds. For a full description of the stone material, the detailed analysis of the bulk of finds and of the cemetery, and a more thorough treatment of the Dominican period wasn't open for us owing to the quantity of the material among others. 'The State and Problems of the Monasteries Research' titled Chapter I deals with the research of the recent 20-25 years. In this period the number of excavations has increased, but, unfortunately, it must also be noted that no general work has been accomplished about the most of them. The builders of our first monasteries had been kings and representatives of the church aristocracy.The first monasteries had been put up on royal residences, on estate centers, but from as early as the 11th century private monasteries had also been founded. Our family monasteries had been established in the farming centers or residences of the respective family or family branches. The artistic role of the farming centers has also become more important. Our monasteries tided over well in many cases the long storms of the years (Zsámbék, Pannonhalma, Lébény, Jánoshida, Boldva, etc.), but we know less about the cloisters operating in their neighbourhood, especially about the Árpád-age buildings. On one hand they were made of poorer material, than the church, so they decayed earlier. Through the several reconstructions most of them decayed. Eventually, and what is a more important factor, having lost their function, they were pulled down. The