The Vasvár Dominicans
MúzeumCafé 7.
The Dominican church and monastery have stood in Vasvár for 800 years. The building is a unique symbol of the mendicant order and the guardian of its treasures in Hungary. The church and monastery of the Holy Cross were built around the time of the 13th-century Mongol invasion, allegedly with a donation from King Béla IV. The monastery played a minor role up to its closure in 1950. At the beginning of the 1990s Balázs Zágorhidi Czigány became head of the local museum operating in the monastery’s few rooms remaining intact. He and archeologist Gábor Kiss organised a medieval county history exhibition for the 1100th anniversary of the Hungarian Conquest. The monastery was renovated by the Hungarian Governing Council of the Dominican Order in cooperation with the Vas County Museums’ Directorate and with financial help from the town of Vasvár and various grants. Besides a few paintings, items of furniture and devotional objects, the main part comprises books and archives – the Dominicans used to be noted codex scribes, thus books constitute the most valuable tangible legacy. A monk’s cell arranged from the furniture and personal objects of recently deceased members of the order features in the museum and can be used as a guest room by researchers. An exemplary situation is being developed which is faithful to the tradition of an ‘open’ monastery under the auspices of the Vasvár Dominican Monastery Foundation established jointly by the town, county and the order. Lodgings accommodating 40 pilgrims have recently opened on the ground floor and at present student volunteers are painting copies of the frescos of Vas County’s medieval churches in one of the halls.