Kerekszenttamás

Kerekszenttamás Zámoly was a medieval settlement located near the town of Kerekszenttamás Zámoly. Today only written sources and its 12th‑century circular church remain as reminders.

Location

It lies north of Kerekszenttamás Zámoly, towards Gánt, on the western side of the highway.

History

The village is first mentioned in 1321, when it belonged to the Csák clan. At the beginning of the 15th century it was owned by Csókakő, and between 1453 and 1461 by Vitányvár. Since the middle of the 1500s it has been an abandoned settlement. In 1962 archaeological excavations were carried out here by art historian Vera Molnár (1940–1979), who uncovered that the rotunda was an interior building more than 6.5 metres in diameter and opened on the southern side. In the north‑eastern part a niche cut into the wall presumably served a sanctuary function.

The walls of the circular church were built of dolomite, which was quarried locally. The stones were fixed with lime mortar, which provided an extremely strong, weather‑resistant bond for the building. Its walls still rise about four to five metres high into the sky today.