The Saint Michael’s Church (Biserica Sfântul Mihail) is a Roman Catholic church on Union Square (Piața Unirii) in Cluj-Napoca and is one of the city’s most remarkable landmarks.
The church was built between 1442 and 1447 in a Gothic style on the site of the former Saint James Chapel. A Baroque-style clock tower was added between 1511 and 1545 but a new tower was built in its place between 1837 and 1862 in a Gothic revival style.
Between 1545 and 1546 the church was converted to Lutheran Protestantism as part of the Reformation and in 1566 the Unitarians took over the building. With the help of the Habsburg government, it was returned to the Catholic Church in 1716.
The Saint Michael’s Church measures a length of 70 meters and the clock tower reaches a hight of 80 meters. On the western portal, you can see the coat of arms of Sigismund as the King of Hungary, King of Bohemia and as the Holy Roman Emperor. The oldest part of the church’s interior is the altar, which dates back to 1390.
The Saint Michael’s Church is the second largest church in Transylvania, after the Black Church in Brașov and with its location on the central square of the city, Union Square, the landmark has become the image of Cluj-Napoca. In front of the church you can find the Matthias Corvinus Statue.
