Toranj gothic church

The medieval gothic church not far from Toranj village next to Pakrac is a monument of Croatian cultural heritage of the highest category. It is not known to whom the church was originally consecrated, and today it has the title of Saint Panteleimon which it got in the post-Turkish period.
It is an authentic gothic church that belongs to the central type of buildings.
The plan is a regular trefoil to which a circle with an equilateral triangle can be both circumscribed and inscribed and it leads us to the assumption of the possible original title being the church of the Holy Trinity.
The ceiling, which unfortunately was not completely preserved, was extremely original and different from the usual ceilings in gothic architecture. It consisted of three half-domes supported by three ribs that were leaning on three pilasters. The connection of pilasters and ribs was bridged with direct cutting without the capitals which is a clear marker of a late gothic church building. Considering the way it was built and shaped, it is possible to place the building of the church in the 15th century, and the specialty of the way it was built makes it unique in Croatia, but also
entire Central Europe.
Unfortunately, its builder is unknown. It is assumed that such a monumental building could only be built by feudal lords, probably Hungarian nobles Tetenji who ruled this area until the arrival of the Turks in the middle of the 16th century. After the Turks had invaded this territory, the entire catholic population disappeared, and the church was left deserted. It is possible that it was used for scouting and as a watch due to its specific position. This area was the first line of Turkish defense because in the west of it was a zone of “no man’s land” and after it the area of the Military Frontier. It is assumed that the village of Toranj got its name after this church that resembles a tower when looked at from afar.
After the liberation from the Turks, the church was abandoned and in 1757 it was given to the Orthodox church and consecrated to Saint Panteleimon. The Serbian Orthodox Church had used it for mass until 1931 when it was abandoned and its systematic deterioration started.
The works on the church started in 1990, and they were finished after the Homeland war. Unfortunately, due to its remoteness, even though it was renovated, it was poorly maintained and it is now thick with dense vegetation that even started to be a threat to the church itself.
Therefore, the Historical society Pakrac – Lipik took care of the landscaping in 2009 on their initiative. In 2010, thanks to the funds from the Slagalica Foundation and the volunteering of the members and friends of the society, the project of landscaping the church grounds was implemented: wooden benches were installed, the access way was built, and the church was properly marked.