Roman catholic church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Holy Well in Szentkút

 basilica, pilgrimage, interesting place

Roman catholic church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Holy Well in Szentkút

The place where the church can be found is called Szentkút (near the village Mátraverebély), which means Holy Well in Hungarian.

The Baroque church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in 1763. It is a famous shrine and place of pilgrimage. In connection with the church and the Holy Well there are legends of St. László (King of Hungary) and a lot of miraculous healings owing to the healing power of the water.
According to the legend the water of the Holy Well sprang from the horse-shoe mark of the King’s horce, in 1091 or 1092. The first miraculous healing happened between 1095 and 1195 when Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in her arms appeared to a dumb shepherd, and healed him with the water of the Holy Well.
The church has onion domes, its main altar, pulpit and some of the statuess are of Rococo style, the two side altars were made in Zopf style in the 18th century. The devotional statue of Vigin Mary of the 18th century is placed on the main altar.

The first written record of the Holy Well was made in 1290. Instead of the former wooden chapel in 1705 a new stone chapel was made for the well.

It was the Almásy family who supported the building of the church between 1758-63. Their family crypt is on the western part of the church. László Almásy („The English patient”) was buried here, too. On the eastern side of the church a Franciscan monastery was built.
Szentkút got the right of a „basilica minor” in 1970. In 2006 it was recorded on the list of National Shrines.