Alsóvárosi Ferences Látogatóközpont

Visitor centre in Szeged in the Franciscan monastery, presenting monastic life and treasures of church art.

Opening hours

About the museum

The church and monastery complex in Alsóváros is the second-largest church complex in Hungary still operating for its original purpose, after Pannonhalma. The Observant branch of the Franciscans settled in the town in 1444. The late Gothic church was built between 1480 and 1503, using material from the 12th-century church of the Szent Péter hospice; the baroque tower above the chancel was added in 1730. The monastery was built in three main phases: the western wing is the oldest, the northern wing was completed at the same time as the church, and the eastern wing was built in the 18th century.

The visitor centre in the monastery, opened in 2012, presents the history of the medieval complex and the everyday life of the monks, which is still based on the Rule of St Francis of Assisi. The exhibition displays centuries-old works of church art, including a 15th-century Gothic chair, the longest-surviving piece of furniture of its kind in Hungary. In the monastery garden there is a lapidarium made of stones from the old church and a herb garden recalling Franciscan farming. The monastery's economy was the starting point for paprika cultivation in Szeged in the 16th century.

Highlights

Late Gothic church (1480–1503)
Exhibition on monastic life
15th-century Gothic chair
Monastery garden with a lapidarium and herb garden

Permanent exhibition

Élet a kolostor falai között – Interactive presentation on monastic life, the foundations of Franciscan spirituality and medieval objects of church art.

Founded: 2012
Operated by: Alsóvárosi Ferences Plébánia