Evangelical Church, Alšóstregova
Building, structure
The village of Alsósztregova is located 12 km NE of Nagykürtös. In the N part of the settlement, next to the Madách castle, stands the village's Renaissance-style Lutheran church. The medieval church was surrounded by a fortress wall during the 16th century as a defense against Turkish raiders. The dilapidated church building was rebuilt in 1652 using its foundations at public expense and thanks to generous donors (Gábor Dúló, János Madách, Ferenc and Mihály Libercsei). In 1758, the church burned down and the sanctuary wall collapsed. Decades later, in 1819, it was restored and partially rebuilt. In 1820, Antal Mocsáry commemorated the church's three bells, the altar cloth from 1681, and the 17th-18th century inscriptions on the church wall. The coat of arms of the Madách family can be seen inside the church today. The eastern side of the fortress wall surrounding the church is 2.5-3 m high. The length of the walls visible today is approx. 50-60 m, thickness 70-80 cm, and its battlements have been destroyed. Four loopholes are visible in the enclosure wall, and an external retaining wall is crumbling on the southern side. The rest of the surrounding wall has been demolished, and its gate tower has also been destroyed.