Roman Catholic Church

Estelnic, once part of the historical Kézdiszék region, is located in the northeastern corner of present-day Covasna County, at the foothills of the Eastern Carpathians. Its lower part lies on flat terrain, while its upper part stretches through a narrow, forested valley. The ancient village originally extended along the Estelnic stream in this wooded valley. In 1332, it was listed under the name Iskulnuk in the papal tithe records.

The most valuable and oldest monument in Estelnic is the Roman Catholic Church in the lower part of the village. The old church was built during the reign of the Árpád dynasty, and despite later expansions and stylistic changes, it remains the oldest and most impressive building in the settlement to this day. Historians believe that the church was built in the Romanesque style for the Székely people settled here by King Andrew II around 1224. This assumption is supported by the series of arches on the northern side of the church nave and the baptismal font from the Árpád era, both dating back to the 13th–14th centuries.

The exterior of the current church preserves several Gothic elements characteristic of the 15th century. In 1958, Gothic window and door frames, as well as a partially preserved sacrament niche adorned with floral motifs, were uncovered and restored from beneath layers of plaster. An inscription on the triumphal arch marks 1523 as the date of the first repairs. The Estelnic bell, cast in 1567, is mentioned by Balázs Orbán in his significant work Description of the Székely Land. Further repairs were carried out in 1635, during which the still-standing sacristy was constructed. The churchyard wall is also believed to have been built around the same time.

The Gothic vault of the sanctuary was not reconstructed after the earthquake of 1802. Another earthquake struck the building in 1838, and the damage was repaired in 1839. These two earthquakes, along with subsequent repairs, significantly altered both the exterior and interior appearance of the church.

The church, professionally restored in 1958, suffered damage again in the natural disaster of 1977. Fragments of frescoes were discovered beneath the fallen plaster. A single figurative image is clearly discernible: a blessing bishop. The mural, drawn in a sketch-like manner with strong contours and a thin fresco technique, could not be precisely dated. The fragments suggest the 16th century and show similarities to the paintings in Ghelința and Curteni.