Zsambek Postcard

Late Romanesque, early Gothic church, Zsambek, Hungary Members of the wealthy Aynard family founded the church and monastery of Zsambek in the first decades of the 13th century. They donated the building to the order of Premontre, like many other similar constructions in the 13th. The complex was abandoned during the Turkish wars. Zsambek built a new church in th 18th century. The old structure was damaged by an earthquake and it was used to supply the village with building materials. The first reconstruction took place in the last years of the 19th century. During the work parts of the church were rebuilt using red brick instead of stone. Later it was considered a very advanced restoration method. (It's possible that the architect used brick instead of stone because of the lack of founding.) The church and the surrounding were excavated around 1935.