Alunișu (in Hungarian Mogyorókereke) was first mentioned in documents in 1437 under the name Monyorokerek, later appearing in several historical forms. According to local legend, the first settlers arrived from the Remetea (Bihor county) area, looking for a safer place protected from Tatar invasions. The origins of the village church date back to around 1273, making it older than the first written mention of the settlement. Although the church no longer preserves its original form, it remains one of the most important historical monuments of the village.
In the 16th century, the church became Reformed (Calvinist), but both the village and the church were destroyed during the last Tatar invasion in 1661. The current church was rebuilt in 1728 with donations from locals and renovated several times afterward. The original wooden bell tower burned down in 1889 and was replaced in 1897 by the present stone tower. A painting by Telegdy Árpád from 1894 still preserves the image of the old church with its wooden tower.
The church contains valuable wooden furniture dating from the 18th century. The pulpit crown, staircase, pastoral chair, and the Lord’s table were decorated by the famous craftsman Umling Lőrinc and his sons. In 1904, the church was enlarged, and the damaged painted cassette ceiling was removed. Many of the original painted panels were transferred to museums in Budapest, while in 2023 the local community recreated a copy of the cassette ceiling.
The church also houses an organ built in Debrecen in 1913. The tower contains a single bell cast in 1931, and a clock was added during renovations in 1965.
Throughout history, the village suffered many disasters, including the Tatar invasion of 1661, major fires, and a dramatic landslide in 1851 caused by heavy rains, when part of the limestone hillside collapsed above the village. The noise was reportedly heard as far as Cluj, and frightened villagers spent a week living outside in the fields.
Despite its small size, today’s Reformed community continues to maintain the church and preserve the religious and cultural traditions of the village.
