A sepsikilyéni középkori eredetű unitárius templomról és helyreállításáról
About the Unitarian church of medieval origin in Sepsikilyén and its restoration

Author(s): József Sebestyén
Subject(s): Architecture, Visual Arts, History of Art
Published by: Pécsi Tudományegyetem Művészeti Kar Művészettörténet Tanszék
Keywords: Sepsikilyén; Unitarian church; medieval architecture; Gothic murals; Saint Ladislaus legend; church restoration; cultural heritage; earthquake damage; Gothic portal; Székely region
Summary/Abstract: The study presents the architectural history and restoration of the medieval-origin Unitarian church of Sepsikilyén (Chilieni) in present-day Romania. The village was first mentioned in written records in 1333 and became predominantly Unitarian by the end of the sixteenth century. Archaeological and architectural investigations revealed that the original church was a thirteenth-century single-nave structure with a semicircular apse built on the site of an earlier cemetery. The surviving walls of the nave were decorated in the early fifteenth century with extensive mural cycles, including scenes from the Legend of Saint Ladislaus and the Passion of Christ. Particularly remarkable are the depictions of the Last Supper, the Carrying of the Cross, and the mystical representation of the “living cross” in the Crucifixion scene. After the major earthquake of 1473, the church underwent significant Gothic reconstruction, including the construction of a polygonal sanctuary, ribbed vaulting, tracery windows, and a new southern portal marked with the date 1497. Further earthquakes in 1802 caused severe structural damage, leading to the collapse of the sanctuary vault and the introduction of a painted wooden ceiling that still survives today. Research and restoration campaigns carried out from the late twentieth century onward uncovered hidden medieval architectural elements, wall paintings, Gothic stone fragments, and liturgical furnishings. The restoration project, completed mainly between 1994 and 2004 with Hungarian, Romanian, and European support, successfully reconstructed the late Gothic southern portal and conserved the mural decorations. The rehabilitated church today preserves an outstanding example of medieval ecclesiastical art and architecture in the Székely region, while also symbolizing international cooperation in cultural heritage preservation.

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