Piarist Ensemble

The Roman Catholic Piarist Church of the Holy Cross is part of an extensive group of school buildings of the Piarist order, which was planned during the period 1908-1909 by the then leading architect László Székely. With its unique architectural style, it shapes the cityscape from the outskirts of the downtown.

The Piarist Church is the only church in the city that has an idiosyncratic, fairytale-like mix of architectural styles. In addition to the Secession style, typical at the turn of the last century, Neo-Byzantine, Hungarian, and Baroque elements can also be found.

The Order of the Piarists, founded in Rome and originally based elsewhere in the city, came to Timisoara as early as 1788. Specializing in teaching, the goal was to enable even the poorest students to attend school, regardless of ethnicity or denomination. In 1870, the grammar school already had 417 pupils, of whom 227 were Roman Catholic, 135 Orthodox, 35 Jewish, ten Lutheran and four Reformed. The multilingual priests taught in all the languages of the Habsburg Monarchy, a revolutionary teaching method for the 18th and 19th centuries.

After the Second World War, the religious orders were banned, and the buildings expropriated. It now houses the faculties of the Polytechnic University of Timisoara.

Today, this grand building once again houses a Catholic secondary school, the “Gerhardinum” high school.

The Piarist Church, just a few steps from the city park, is open to the public and offers one a good opportunity for a quiet retreat in a fairytale-like setting close to the vibrant city centre.