Panticeu (Páncélcseh, Böhmischhofen) – Cluj County
With its congregation gone, the Reformed Church of Panticeu, Cluj County, is fighting the passage of time. Built atop a hill in the heart of the village, the church stands as the last legacy of the Hungarian community of Panticeu.
The eight-century-old Reformed Church of Panticeu
The Reformed Church of Panticeu was built in the 13th century in Romanesque style. Later, the church — once surrounded by a stone wall — was remodeled in Gothic style. The local Reformed community was established during the reign of Prince Gabriel Bethlen. The architecture and the Gothic windows, similar to those of the Reformed Church in Dej, suggest that both churches were likely built by the same master. According to local tradition, the Hungarian community was first decimated by the troops of General Giorgio Basta, and later by the Tatars. The church itself was also set on fire but was subsequently modified and renovated several times.
A notable intervention occurred in December 1753 with the support of landowners András and József Szénássy and Lady Borbála Alsó. During this time, the painted gallery was created, and one of the sidewalls was rebuilt. In 1791, at the request of Éva Filep and in memory of Sámuel Filep, younger Lorenz Umling completed his father’s work, the pulpit crown. The separate wooden bell tower housed two bells. The large one was cast in 1755 and recast in 1815 in Cluj, while the small one was made in 1791. Among the church’s valuables were a 1636 silver chalice and a silver plate donated by Mária Fosztó, wife of András Lészai, as well as a pewter pitcher from 1799 gifted by Pál Solymosi and Anna Liszki.
The Reformed Church of Panticeu was devastated by a violent storm in 2002
The church underwent its last major changes in 1912 and 1928. The wooden tower and the apse were demolished and replaced by the current tower. The entrance was relocated, and the new tower was crowned with an elegant Baroque cupola. In March 2002, this very cupola was brought down by a powerful storm, collapsing onto the roof of the church. The southern side suffered serious damages. The pulpit and its crown, the stone tracery of the Gothic windows, the painted gallery, and parts of the 14th-century frescoes depicting Saint Ladislaus of Hungary were destined to perish.
To prevent the church’s rapid decay, a new roof was built in 2017 through the Rómer Flóris Plan with support from the Hungarian government. However, the building remained deserted, becoming one of the many abandoned churches in Transylvania. Károly Gáspár, the Reformed pastor of Vechea — the parish to which Panticeu belonged — buried the last Reformed of the village. Thanks to his efforts and those of dedicated volunteers, the memory of Panticeu’s Hungarian community is still preserved through the periodical cleaning and caretaking of the old church.
In a region with little to no tourist appeal, maintaining a medieval church is even more vital. The Reformed Church of Panticeu is still standing, still salvageable. It does not deserve the tragic fate that has befallen so many historical monuments in Transylvania.