The city of Gherla, known in medieval times as Armenopolis, was a city built especially for the Armenian community. A prosperous community of merchants built a city from scratch on the Someș banks and decided to build a cathedral in 1748. The cathedral was built in the center of the city and was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and St. Gregory the Illuminator – the apostle of the Armenians .
The church is a monumental construction, built in the Transylvanian Baroque style, with a main tower framed by two secondary towers. Initially, the church was surrounded by a fence on which stood the life-size statues of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the statues of the other apostles. These statues are inside the church today. The church has a main altar and four secondary altars: the altar dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the altar dedicated to St. Gregory the Illuminator, the altar dedicated to St. Joseph, the altar dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk. They are decorated with paintings and statues specific to the Baroque style.
The most important work of art of the church is the painting entitled “The Descent of Jesus from the Cross” which is supposed to be the work of the famous painter Rubens. This painting was given by Emperor Francis I to the Armenian community in Gherla as a token of gratitude for the generous donations made to the imperial treasury.
