The Gothic church, which was later converted into a Baroque one, belonged to the Franciscan Order for four centuries before it was transferred to the Benedictines in 1802. The planned museum's permanent exhibition will show the connection of both orders to the church.
The church's crypt will also be converted into an exhibition space showing burial traditions from the Middle Ages onward.
Two walled-up Gothic windows will be reopened in one of the church's halls, making it suitable for concerts and other performances.
The Kecske Church has been the site of many important historical events. Emperor Ferdinand III was crowned in the church in 1625, and it was the site of several diets. Saint John Capistrano delivered a fiery call to arms from the church's pulpit before the Siege of Belgrade in 1456.
The church, which is in the centre of Sopron, is stands on top of another church built around 1280, archaeologists recently discovered.
HUF 170 million in European Union and state funding will go to support the conversion of the church.
Source: Múlt-kor / Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
