Ipolypástó Reformed Church
Building, structure
The Romanesque church of Ipolypásztó, dedicated to Saint George, was built in the 12th century and originally belonged to the Premontres. Later, the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style and expanded in the second half of the 18th century. The Premontres had an abbey here in the Middle Ages, which was converted into a fortress against the Turks. In 1552, the Turkish army also occupied it. The village population became Calvinist in the 16th century. The tower of the church, which originally had a wooden tower, burned down in a fire in 1774, and a new stone tower was built in its place in 1817. Twelve years after the renovation in 1996, a ball lightning caused serious damage to the building in early July 2008. The storm destroyed the tower, the roof and the organ. The church's 180-kilogram bell, cast in 1820, and its 90-kilogram counterpart, made in 1910, were fortunately not seriously damaged. For six months, until the church was ready for services, the faithful listened to the word of God in the local community center on Sundays. The renovation of the building was completed in 2010.