Church of the Whites, Catholic church building in Vác, Hungary.
The Church of the Whites, at Március 15 Square 22 in Vác, has a white-plastered nave with a steep orange-red tile roof and a square bell tower with a clock beside the sanctuary. The main facade carries three statues: Saint Dominic and Saint Emeric flanking a lute-shaped window, with the Immaculate Conception above the cornice.
The building was constructed in the 18th century as a Dominican order church and gained its distinctive appearance through the architectural style of that era. It has remained an important center of religious life in Vác since its completion.
The name "Church of the Whites" comes from the white habit of the Dominican friars, who were known as the white monks. The high altar painting shows Pope Pius V praying for victory over the Turks. The crypt's naturally mummified remains, including that of Antal Simon, are now cared for by the Tragor Ignác Museum and the Hungarian Natural History Museum.
The church stands at Március 15. tér 22 in the Felsőváros district of Vác, on the corner of the square along the pavement. The entrance is through the rounded stone doorway of the main facade. The crypt holding the coffins lies beneath the bell tower and is not part of the church interior.
During the 1990s renovation, workers found a walled-up door leading to a vaulted crypt beneath the tower, packed almost to the ceiling with 265 decorated coffins. Inside were naturally mummified bodies in funeral clothes rather than bones; one of them was Antal Simon. The Tragor Ignác Museum curates the burial objects, while the remains are kept by the Hungarian Natural History Museum.
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