The church in Sonkád was built in the 15th century as the patron saint of the Csaholyi family. Its polygonal, elongated sanctuary, pointed arched windows and buttresses show the characteristics of Gothic. Its tower was only built in the 19th century.
In 1717, a major Tatar attack swept through the Upper Tisza region, which also claimed the lives of several villages and churches. The church in Sonkád was burned down, along with the population fleeing there. At that time, the ribbed vault of the sanctuary and the roof structure of the building were destroyed. Restoration of the church began in the 1750s, as part of which its painted, coffered ceiling was completed in 1766, its ornate pulpit in 1773, and its portico in 1795. The “church of flowers” beautifully proves that the Reformation did not push art out of the church. The design of the vine-leaf ornamentation surrounding the window niches shows the influence of the “floral Renaissance”.
The renovation of the dilapidated small church began in the 1990s with archaeological research. The successful restoration was awarded the EuropaNostra Prize in 1998.
Source: The Path of Medieval Churches Association