In August 2013, the congregation at Abaújvár, Hungary launched a fundraising initiative to help cover the cost of uncovering and restoring the medieval frescos discovered behind some layers of limewash of their 13th-century church. They were probably covered in the 1580s, when the inhabitants of the village became Protestant, and were progressively discovered in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The total size of the frescoes is 520 m², bringing the entire estimated cost of restoration to more than 100 million Forints. Art historian Lilla Deklava Farbaky writes:
There are medieval wall paintings on the entire northern wall behind the current limewash, on the wall in the sanctuary, on the vaults, on the triumphal arch … This church with its treasures makes a rare exception in today’s Hungary.
Read more about the project here. To contribute, e-mail us for more information.
Frescoes at Abaújvár. Photo: Graham Bell
Fragment of a Saint, Abaújvár. Photo: Tamás Szegõ
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