The St. Michael's Church (, , ) is a Gothic-style

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church in

Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

. It is the second largest church (after the

Biserica Neagră The Black Church (, , ), stands in the city of Brașov in south-eastern Transylvania, Romania. It was built by the local Transylvanian Saxon (German) community of the city during medieval times and represents the main Gothic-style monument in ...

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

) in the geographical region of

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. The nave is 50 meters long and 24 meters wide, the apse is 20×10 m. The tower with its height of 76 meter (80 meter including the cross) is the highest one in Transylvania.

History

The construction was begun probably in place of the Saint James Chapel. The financing of the church was partly done by the citizens, partly from the income of indulgences. The first related document, dating back to 1349 and signed by the archbishop of

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

and fifteen other bishops, grants the indulgence for those contributing to the illumination and furniture of the Saint Michael Church. The construction was completed between 1442 and 1447, the old tower being built between 1511 and 1545. The tower that stands today was erected in 1862. The church was converted, along with the local population, to Lutheran Protestantism between 1545 and 1566. Then the more radical Unitarian party took it over in the period 1566–1716. At last, it was confiscated in the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

by the Catholic Church with the support of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

government. The Baroque

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

was replaced in the 19th century by a new one, built in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style (1837–1862).

Events

Some important historical events that took place in the church: * 26 July 1551: Queen Isabella of Hungary gives the

Hungarian Crown The Hungarian Crown () was a part of the Polish crown jewels. It was made in the 16th century, resembling the Crown of Saint Stephen, as a private crown of John II Sigismund Zápolya. History The original Hungarian Regalia were handed over b ...

to General Castaldo, the deputy of Ferdinand I., and cedes with that Hungary and Transylvania * 23 October 1556: Queen Isabella returns and takes back the reign of Transylvania, in the name of her son, the child

John II Sigismund Zápolya John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

* 27 March 1601: the third investiture of

Sigismund Báthory Sigismund Báthory (; 1573 – 27 March 1613) was Prince of Transylvania several times between 1586 and 1602, and Duchy of Racibórz, Duke of Racibórz and Duchy of Opole, Opole in Silesia in 1598. His father, Christopher Báthory, ruled Transy ...

as Prince of Transylvania * 12 February 1607: election of

Sigismund Rákóczi Sigismund Rákóczi (, ; 15445December 1608) was Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608. He was the son of János Rákóczi, a lesser nobleman with estates in Upper Hungary. Sigismund began a military career as the sword-bearer of the wealth ...

as Prince of Transylvania * 7 March 1608: election of

Gabriel Báthory Gabriel Báthory (; 15 August 1589 – 27 October 1613) was Prince of Transylvania from 1608 to 1613. The Ottomans nicknamed him "Deli Kiral" (Mad King). Born to the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic branch of the Báthory family, he was closely ...

as Prince of Transylvania * 13 October 1613: election of

Gabriel Bethlen Gabriel Bethlen (; 1580 – 15 November 1629) was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of the whole kingdom. Bethlen, sup ...

as Prince of Transylvania * 18 May 1944: the speech of

Áron Márton Áron Márton (28 August 1896 – 29 September 1980) was an ethnic Hungarian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Alba Iulia from his appointment in late 1938 until his resignation in 1980. He served as a prelate during a tumult ...

, bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Transylvania in which he strongly condemned the deportation of Jews.

Description

The west portal is decorated with the three

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...

King of Hungary The King of Hungary () was the Monarchy, ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Magyarország apostoli királya'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 ...

, as

King of Bohemia The Duchy of Bohemia was established in 870 and raised to the Kingdom of Bohemia in Golden Bull of Sicily, 1198. Several Bohemian monarchs ruled as non-hereditary kings and first gained the title in 1085. From 1004 to 1806, Bohemia was part of th ...

and as

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

. The oldest of its sections is the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, inaugurated in 1390, while the newest part is the Gothic Revival-style clock tower, which was built in 1837–1862 and replaced a Baroque predecessor.

Gallery

File:Piata Unirii Cluj-Napoca.jpg, General view from SE File:St Michael Church Cluj with demolished Baroque tower C18.jpeg, Church with Baroque tower (replaced by 1862) File:Kolozsvár főtere 1840-ben.jpg, Church and city square (1840, Josef Hofreit) File:St Michael Church Cluj Baroque outer gate 19thC.jpg, Baroque gate into churchyard (west) File:Biserica Sf Mihail Cu Cadirile Din Jur Si Turnul Neogotic In Lucru, la 1859.jpg, Church with adjacent buildings, new tower under construction (1850) File:Cluj-Napoca St. Michael neogotic tower.jpg, The 19th-century neo-Gothic tower File:Matyas kiraly emlekmu Kolozsvar.jpg, Matthias Corvinus Monument (1902) File:Kolozsvarx2.jpg, The entrance (west portal) File:Saint Michael Church in Cluj-Napoca - detail above the entrance.jpg, The three coats of arms of Sigismund I on west portal File:St Michaels Cluj-Napoca interior.jpg, The interior File:Panorama bolta sf. mihail cluj small.jpg, The vaulting system File:Fresko szent mihaly-templom.jpg, Restored fresco remains File:Catedrala Romano-Catolică Sfântul Mihail 3.jpg, Pipe organ built in 1763 by Johannes Hahn File:Cluj, St Michael's Church, Sacristy.JPG, Sacristy made in 1528, at the order of parish priest Johannes Klein File:Klausenburger Michaelskirche Dreikönigsaltar.jpg, Altar with the Three Magi, sculpted by Johannes Nachtigall (1717–1761), painted by Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724–1796). File:CatedralaSfMihail (123).JPG, Glass window: Archangel Michael with ''

Quis ut Deus ' (or '), a Latin sentence meaning "Who slike God?", is a literal translation of the name Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people wi ...

?'' inscription File:CatedralaSfMihail (19).JPG, Glass window:

Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being crucifixion, nailed to a cross.The instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, instrument of crucifixion is taken to be an upright wooden beam to which was added a transverse wooden beam, thus f ...

File:CatedralaSfMihail (9).JPG, Glass window: Jesus blessing a sword File:CatedralaSfMihail (15).JPG, Glass window:

Confession of Peter In Christianity, the Confession of Peter (translated from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ''Confessio Petri'') refers to an episode in the New Testament in which the Apostle Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Christ ( Jewish Messiah). Th ...

File:CatedralaSfMihail (16).JPG, Glass window (1893): Mary and infant Jesus; below: Saints

Astrik Saint Astrik of Pannonhalma (also known as Anastasius, Astericus, Ascrick, Astrissicus) (died c. 1030/1040) is a saint of the 11th century. Life Radla was a Czech or Croat from Bohemia, who was a monk in Hungary. He probably received the habit at ...

and

Emeric of Hungary Emeric, also known as Henry or Imre (, , ; 117430 November 1204), was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1196 and 1204. In 1184, his father, Béla III of Hungary, ordered that he be crowned king, and appointed him as ruler of Croatia and Dalma ...

File:CatedralaSfMihail (18).JPG, Glass window: Young Jesus in Joseph's carpentry shop File:CatedralaSfMihail (27).JPG, Relief (1957):

Descent from the Cross The Descent from the Cross (, ''Apokathelosis''), or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion (John 19, ). I ...

References

External links