St Anne’s (Ursuline) Church

The Ursuline nuns, led by Mary Alexia, began operations in Győr in 1726. St Anne’s Church was built in 1762 as a convent and school. The Baroque building complex, complete with a church parallel to the street front, is decorated with tiny ridge turrets. The three ceiling frescoes are the work of István Schaller. The picture above the sanctuary shows Mary’s betrothal. The cupola’s fresco depicts scenes from the lives of four saints (Ursula, Angela, Ignatius and Gregory) around Christ. The picture above the gallery shows the patron saint of musicians, St Cecilia, making music. Since 1908, an image of St Anne can be seen among the Baroque high altar’s original statues. The Ursuline school in Győr functioned from its foundation in 1726 until its nationalisation in 1948. The nuns were taken away during the night of 18 June 1950. The church remained a place of worship even during its time of dissolution, but its bell was only heard again in 1993 (after 43 years of enforced silence). The convent and school were then returned to the order too.