
In the 13th century, the abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Pannonhalma had a church built in honour of Saint Bartholomew in Dénesd. In the 17th century, during the period of sectarian strife, it also served as a parish church (1684).
As it was too small to accommodate pilgrims, Abbot Daniel Somogyi of Pannonhalma ordered the construction of a larger church on the site of the Romanesque church, which was built between 1786 and 1797. The church was consecrated in 1797 in honour of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is still one of the most important buildings in the village and was declared a monument in 1963.