Holy Cross Basilica (Kežmarok)
The Basilica of the Holy Cross ( Slovak Basilica Povýšenia sv. Kríža ) is a Roman Catholic church in eastern Slovakia Kežmarok (Kežmarok). The listed late Gothic Holy Cross Church from the 15th century belongs to the diocese of Spiš and bears the title of a minor basilica .
history
The church stands in the place of a presumably Romanesque chapel. The development of the city and the growth in population created the need for a new church, which was built in the first half of the 14th century. This church was badly damaged by the Hussite Wars , earthquakes and fire in 1443 and was replaced by a new building from 1444. Among other things, the substructure of the church tower at the west end was reused. The new church was completed in 1498.
During the Reformation , the predominantly German population converted to Protestantism and the church was used by the Protestant parish from 1531 to 1673 and again from 1678 to 1687 and from 1705 to 1709.The Gothic furnishings with 14 altars were preserved with changes, the frescoes were painted over. All but five of the altars were not removed until the 18th century.
In 1981 the church was listed as a historical monument . Pope John Paul II elevated the church to a minor basilica in 1998.
architecture
The three-aisled hall church is 51 meters long and 22 meters wide, the main nave is almost 16 meters high. At 11.5 meters, the choir has the width of the central nave and a length of 23.5 meters. The ceiling of the central nave is designed as a star vault , in the southern nave there is a rib vault , in the northern nave a simple vault. After the construction of the new, south-facing, free-standing bell tower in the Renaissance style (1589–1591), the church tower was adapted with a new hood.
Furnishing
The crucified Jesus on the main altar is one of the most valuable works of art in church furnishings . It is attributed to the workshop of Master Veit Stoss at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries . Some of the carvings on the four other altars are assigned to students from the workshop of master Paul von Leutschau . The small side organ from 1651 is the oldest still playable organ of its kind in Slovakia, the main organ is on a gallery above the entrance area. In the late 19th century, some parts of the church furnishings from the Baroque and Renaissance periods were replaced by neo-Gothic parts, and parts of the figures were re-polychromed.
Web links
- Parish website (Slovak)
Individual evidence
- ^ Bazilika Povýšenia sv. Kríža on gcatholic.org
- ↑ The Basilica of St. Cross on kezmarok.sk
- ↑ rksv.Kríža on pamiatky.sk
- ↑ Church history on the website of the parish (Slovak)
Coordinates: 49 ° 8 ′ 15 ″ N , 20 ° 25 ′ 48 ″ E