About Gyöngyöspata

The settlement with a population of almost 2840 people is situated at the south-western foot

of the Mátra mountains,12 kilometres north-west from Gyöngyös. It lies by the side of the

minor road, connecting Gyöngyös with he number 21 road. The nearest railway station is

in Gyöngyös.The settlement dates back to the age of the Hungarian Conquest, according to

the records of Anonymus the region was donated by Chief Árpád to Ed and Edömér after

the Hungarian Conquest, later their descendant, Pata, built a castle here. The church of the

archdeaconry was built next to the castle at that time. The name of the village first appeared

in a charter in 1234. In 1460 the settlement was recorded as a country town, before that Czech

Hussites had built a wooden fortress here, which was conquered by King Matthias himself.

During the Turkish rule of Hungary Gyöngyöspata was the second biggest settlement of

the county; and only the war of liberation brought a major decrease in the population. The

inhabitants supported themselves by grape and wine-growing; the main occupation of the

inhabitants is still grape and fruit growing today. The present church of the village was built

in Gothic style and its most beautiful ornament is the late-Reneissance-style Jessze-altar

representing the family tree of Jesus Christ. Both the church and its furniture are art relics.

Singing has great traditions in Gyöngyöspata. The ” Gyöngyöspatai Pávakör” group fosters

folk traditons in the village. The copy of the Bible, translated by Dömötör Nekcsei in the 14th

century, is to be found in the church; the original is in the Congressional Library in the USA.