Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth
The St. Elisabeth Cathedral ( Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth , Slovak : Dom svatej Alžbety , Hungarian : Szent Erzsébet Szekesegyhaz ) or Kassa Cathedral is a Gothic church in the center of Kosice ( Kassa ). It is the largest church in Slovakia and is dedicated to St. Elizabeth . It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Košice .
history
Construction of the cathedral began in 1378 on the site of a parish church that burned down in 1370. It took place in several stages. Restorations continue to this day.
The first construction phase lasted until 1420. In this phase , the church was built as a five-aisled basilica based on the model of St. Viktor's Cathedral in Xanten on the Rhine .
In the second construction phase , the concept was changed and the main nave was crossed with an equally high transept .
In the third construction phase , in 1470, the Chapel of the Holy Cross ( Kromers Chapel ) was built, in 1477 the Chapel of St. Mary ( Szatmáris Chapel ) and the now defunct Chapel of St. Joseph. In 1491 the church was badly damaged. Nikolaus Krompholz from Neisse was commissioned to repair the church. The presbytery and thus the cathedral itself were also completed under his supervision .
Over the next few years, the cathedral was damaged and repaired several times. The most extensive reconstruction took place between the years 1877 and 1896. The interior and exterior of the church should be rebuilt according to the five-aisle concept. The chapel of St. Joseph was demolished and a crypt was built on the north nave , into which the remains of Francis II Rákóczi and his companions, including Countess Jelena Zrinski , were transferred in 1906 .
There are 52 gargoyles on Elisabeth Cathedral. All have an animal shape, only one has the shape of a woman's face. According to legend, the wife of the master Stephan surrendered to the wine and he portrayed her as a gargoyle so that she would only spit water until the end of her life, or as long as the Elisabeth Cathedral stands.
The oldest preserved twin spiral staircase is located in the Elisabeth Cathedral .
The Urban Tower served as the bell tower of the cathedral .
Today's cathedral
Today's Elisabeth Cathedral retains the five-aisled design. There is a metal tower in the intersection. The eastern Matthias tower from 1461 and the western tower complete the western facade.
The Elisabeth Altar ( main altar of St. Elisabeth ) deserves special attention. It consists of 48 Gothic panel paintings .
You can also admire a wooden sculpture of St. Mary, the wall painting “Resurrection”, a bronze baptismal font from the 14th century, a Gothic Passion , a stone pulpit and other sights.
Cathedral around 1900
Layout
St. Elisabeth Cathedral
St. Elisabeth Cathedral and Chapel of St. Michael
Northern portal
Woodcut
The Elisabeth Altar
literature
The Elisabeth Cathedral in Kaschau in the messages of the emperors. royal Central Commission for the Research and Conservation of Architectural Monuments Volume 2, 1857., (Category with associated images on Commons )
- Tim Juckes, The parish and pilgrimage church of St Elizabeth in Košice, (= Architectura Medii Aevi, 6), Turnhout 2011
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dóm svätej Alžbety ukrýva aj opitú ženu on Radio Slovakia International of March 2, 2008, accessed on April 15, 2010
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 43 ′ 13.7 ″ N , 21 ° 15 ′ 27.3 ″ E