Monastery

Founded before 1235 by the Csák kindred in honour of the Virgin Mary, this monastery – originally belonging to the Premonstratensian Order – was first mentioned in written sources in 1251.  It was known as a place of authentication in the 13^th century.

The Premonstratensian provostry existed until 1543 when it was abandoned because of the Ottoman occupation.

In the eighteenth century a new baroque hermitage was built nearby for the Camaldolese monks (one of the hermitic orders having its roots in the Benedictine monasticism). The first monks arrived in 1735, but the monastery did not receive the ecclesiastic permission until 1738. The construction works lasted till the 1770s. Shortly after the buildings were finished, the Camaldolese Order was abolished by the Hapsburg Emperor Joseph II. The furnishings were sold and the church was almost entirely demolished except the tower. In the mid nineteenth century, it was transformed into a hunting castle for the Esterházy family. Today, visitors can rent out guesthouses on the property and have the chance to experience elements of monastic life first hand.