F. Mentényi Klára szerk.: Műemlékvédelmi Szemle 1996/1. szám Az Országos Műemléki Felügyelőség tájékoztatója (Budapest, 1996)

MŰHELY - Csengel Péter - Gere László: Előzetes beszámoló a városlődi karthauzi kolostor kutatásáról

Péter CSENGEL - László GERE PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE CARTHUSIAN CONVENT IN VÁROSLŐD The monks of the Carthusian order had first settled down in medieval Hungary in the 13th century. Contrary to their spread in Europe, they had only four independently founded convents in Hungary. Two of them is now in the territory of the present country: the one in Tárkányvölgy, near Eger, and the other in SzentmihályvölgyVároslőd. The investigation of the latter was begun two years ago by the AMRK. The rules of the strict order of the Carthusians was present in their architecture too. Their so called „double convents" were built by designs, based on the obligations of hermit life. Their most important structural units are usually similar, but because of the circumstances given there are some differences as well. The most important element of the convent usually situated on a large territory is the church building standing in the centre, joined by the so called „lesser" cloister from the Southern side. This is always joined by the chapter house, often with a chapel, the prior's house, the library and other buildings. The so called „great" cloister is a characteristic of the Carthusian convents, with cells of the monks joining to it separated from each other. They practically surround the church and through the cells there is a way to it. An important part of the church is the sacristy, often one-storeyed, joining from the North. The church is divided in the middle by a lettner, to the East is the choir for the ordained monks, to the West is the part for laymen with a separate entrance according to the strict orders. The wall of the lettner was usually joined by a part of the cloister crossing the church building, as an entrance from one cloister to the other, separately for the part for laymen. At the same time another door was leading the way towards the choir from the direction of the lesser cloister. The survey of the convent in Városlőd begun in 1994. It was founded by Louis the Great in 1346 for the Carthusians. The activity and continual building of the „convent city" had taken place until its destruction in 1551. The monks had moved at that time and never returned to the convent. However, parts of it were used by local inhabitants. The church was rebuilt in Baroque style by Márton Padányi Bíró, the bishop of Veszprém between 1751 and 1765. The survey has proved the medieval origin of the church, as the remains of the large Gothic windows were found, adjusted to the liturgical arrangement of the interiour of the church. The church of the Carthusians must have been a rather high building, and the crowns of the Gothic windows were destroyed when the main walls were partly pulled down at the Baroque rebuilding. The windows of the choir were rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, but in the course of the Baroque changes these were destroyed. The archeological excavations paralel with the survey had unearthed a part of the lesser cloister vaulted with brick on the Southern side, together with the vaulting