St. Michael’s Church

Located in Cluj Country, St. Michael’s is an awesome destination.

King Carol Robert de Anjou granted, by an act issued on August 19, 1316, a series of privileges and freedoms to Cluj, among which was the right of the city to freely choose its priest and parish priest. This freedom was also realized by the erection of a parish church.

The church was erected on a ground that served as a cemetery and where there was a chapel dedicated to St. James . There are very few data on the erection of the edifice. The main document kept is one issued by the papal court in Avignon, from January 1349 , through which the sins of those who would financially help the construction of the building were forgiven. The construction took place in two phases: the first started in 1316 and was completed in 1390 , followed by a second phase between 1410 and 1487 . In 1390 the altar was completed.

Taking in consideration that the building is a Gothic church type hall with a vaulted choir cross on warheads and flanked by side altars. The vault, stained glass windows and sculptures are notable for the specific grandeur of the Gothic cathedrals. Above the entrance gate is a coat of arms representing Saint Michael , beneath it is the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire , that of the Hungarian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Bohemia. Their existence is explained by the fact that the emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg ( 1387 – 1437 ), under whose reign it seems that the edifice was completed, was Roman emperor and at the same time king of Hungary and Bohemia.