Before the 20th century, log-built wooden churches with thatched roofs like this one stood in many of the smaller villages of Zala County. The church in the Village Museum was reconstructed from the survey drawings and written description made by the Benedictine monk, archaeologist and painter Flóris Rómer of one of the last surviving wooden churches, which once stood in Zalacséb.
Wooden Church from Zalacséb
During the 18th century, there were 35 wooden churches with wattle walls in the historical territory of Zala County, 24 of which were built entirely of timber. Many were destroyed by fire, while the remaining churches were eventually demolished and replaced with new brick-built churches. In his 1860 description of the church at Zalacséb, Flóris Rómer noted with regret that the wooden churches once so characteristic of vernacular architecture in Western Transdanubia had almost completely disappeared.
The interior of the church is enhanced by a newly consecrated organ dating from 1796.
Bell Tower from Csöde
Free-standing bell towers erected on timber base beams, such as the one from Csöde, served churches whose buildings did not have bell towers of their own. The ringing of the bell marked the beginning and end of the working day, announced deaths, warned of danger and played a vital role in the everyday life of the community.
The bell tower from Csöde represents one of the simplest traditional designs. It stands on a single post that forks beneath the bell, while a small wooden-shingled roof protects the structure above. Intermediate in development between this simple form and the later skirted bell towers are the so-called double bell towers, which stand on timber base beams and are supported by several posts from different sides.
