Jaszszentandras is a small village in the Hungarian region called Jaszsag. It has only become an officially recognised village in 1886. Its inhabitants engage mostly in agriculture, although some commute to nearby towns for work. The ethnic group called 'jasz' have always enjoyed freedom from serfdom and the village along with its neghbouring communities has been totally free since the 18th century.
The church itself is fairly new. It was built between 1901-1903 to replace a medieaval chapel. However, for lack of money, its walls had to wait until 1933 to get the fascinating frescoes that now make the village world famous. Vilmos Aba-Novak was commissioned with a colleague to paint the inside of the church. Aba-Novak took on painting the chancel and the chancel arch. He was one of Hungary's unique and much controversial artists, who lived between 1894 and 1941. He died young and thus deprived the world of a fascinating, very talented and imaginative artist. His styles varied from etchings, graphical works, through tempera and oil paintings, all the way to a fusion of expressionism and the Italian novecento in his later works as well as al-secco frescoes. He loved to depict village life on the plains of Hungary, the circus millieu and markets.
The frescoes in Jaszszentandras church have had plenty of controversy over the years. The villagers have soon discovered that the painter used them as models for quite a few of the faces on the walls of the church. Some were happy with this, others less so. There was even a petition to have all the pictures limewashed, but thankfully the Church hierarchy loved Aba-Novak's art and refused to oblige.
The church is usually open, but if it is closed, the cantor's telephone number is on a board and he can come and let you in.
To get to Jaszszentandras you can travel on the M3 motorway, leave it at Hatvan and reach the village on routes 32 and 31. If you want to use public transport, coaches leave Stadion bus station in Budapest 4 times a day directly and another 7 times a day if you are willing to change.
The cache is hidden in the churchyard, at the bottom of a concrete object, covered by dead grass.