Gherla Armenian Catholic Cathedral Gherla

The town of Gherla is known in medieval times under the name Armenopolis, being one of the important centres of the Armenian community in Central and South-Eastern Europe. A prosperous community of merchants who in 1748 decide to erect an Episcopal cathedral. Between 1748-1804 in the centre of Gherla, on the current street Gheorghe Sincai, a monumental Baroque church dedicated to the Holy Trinity is erected, being secondary dedicated to Saint Gregory the Enlightener.

The church is an architectural monument of the Transylvanian Baroque style. Above the main entrance were erected three towers, a main tower framed by two side towers with smaller dimensions. Besides the main altar there are four altars: one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the altar dedicated to St. Gregory the Enlightener, the altar dedicated to St. Joseph, the altar dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk. The main altar and side altars are decorated with paintings and statues specific of the Baroque style.

In the church there is a painting “the Descent of Jesus from the Cross” which is assumed to be the work of Rubens. This painting was gifted by Emperor Francis I in recognition of significant donations for the imperial treasury. The church had a fence on which were found the statues of the apostles. In 1960 this fence was knocked down, the statues being moved inside the church at the northern entrance to the church hall respectively. The statues of St. Ap. Peter and Paul are in natural size.