Franciscan Church (Bratislava)
Encyclopedia
The Franciscan Church is the oldest religious (sacral) building in the Old Town
of Bratislava
, the capital of Slovakia
. The church was consecrated in the year 1297 in the presence of King Andrew III of Hungary. In the past, the church building served for larger gatherings of townspeople or Hungarian nobles. In 1526 Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
was elected here to become the King of Hungary
. During coronations, kings used to knight nobles as Kights of the Order of the Golden Spur in this church.
The building was damaged several times by fire and earthquake and only a small part of its original form is preserved, most notably the presbytery
. The adjacent Chapel of Saint John the Evangelist with a crypt, built in the second half of the 14th century is considered one of the finest examples of gothic architecture
in the city.
from the year 1278.
It was constructed in Bratislava (known as Pressburg / Poszony for most of its history) between 1280 and 1297 in a gothic
style and consecrated by King Andrew III on 24 March 1297. It was turned into a Renaissance
church in the 17th century and into a Baroque
church in the 18th century.
Selected persons were knight
ed here in the 16th - 19th centuries as Knights of the Golden Spur, each time when kings of Royal Hungary
/the Kingdom of Hungary
were crowned in the Cathedral of St Martin, also located within the walled city.
Two chapels and a Franciscan
monastery
from the 14th century stand adjacent to the church. One of them, the St. John the Evangelist Chapel, contains a crypt of the family of Jakub, an important Mayor
of Pressburg (Bratislava), modelled after the French Sainte Chapelle. The spacious rooms of the monastery have been used for meetings, mayoral elections and sessions of the Regional Parliament.
.
The side altars are dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi
, Saint Anthony of Padua (both dating from 1720-1730), Nativity
and Lady of Sorrows. Leaning against the choir, one can see the altars of St. Anne and St. Barbara, both from about 1750).
The rococo pulpit
dates from 1756. it is decorated with reliefs representing St. Francis receiving the stigmata
, St. Francis talking to the birds and Moses
enforcing discipline to the Hebrews.
The rood loft, built in 1670, with the organ is supported by tuscan pillars.
; the torso of Saint Reparat, deacon
and christian martyr from the 4th century. The relic is inside a purpose-built reliquary
(shrine).
Saint Reparat worked as a deacon
in the city of Nola
near Neapoli
, Italy
. He died in the 353, having his tongue cut out and his right hand cut off. He was buried in Rome
at the cemetery of Saint Lawrence until 1769 when he was dug out at the request of Eugen Kósa and moved to Bratislava
. Today, Saint Reparat is the patron of those wanting to change their life for the better. In the past, he was also common visiting place of students of Bratislava.
was built in Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century. It was the funeral chapel of the family Jakubovec. The chapel contains statues of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, Saint Louis IX, Saint Clare of Assisi and Saint Elisabeth of Hungary. The chapel is considered one of the most significant works of Gothic architecture in Slovakia. It was reconstructed in 1831.
Old Town, Bratislava
The Old Town of Bratislava is the historic center and one of the boroughs of Bratislava, in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is coextensive with the smallest Slovak administrative district by area, Bratislava I. It contains the small, but preserved medieval city center, Bratislava Castle and...
of Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, the capital of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The church was consecrated in the year 1297 in the presence of King Andrew III of Hungary. In the past, the church building served for larger gatherings of townspeople or Hungarian nobles. In 1526 Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
was elected here to become the King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
. During coronations, kings used to knight nobles as Kights of the Order of the Golden Spur in this church.
The building was damaged several times by fire and earthquake and only a small part of its original form is preserved, most notably the presbytery
Presbytery (architecture)
The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
. The adjacent Chapel of Saint John the Evangelist with a crypt, built in the second half of the 14th century is considered one of the finest examples of gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
in the city.
History
Legend has it that the church was built by the King Ladislaus IV of Hungary to commemorate his victory over the Czech King (Přemysl) Ottokar II of BohemiaOttokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
from the year 1278.
It was constructed in Bratislava (known as Pressburg / Poszony for most of its history) between 1280 and 1297 in a gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style and consecrated by King Andrew III on 24 March 1297. It was turned into a Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
church in the 17th century and into a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church in the 18th century.
Selected persons were knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed here in the 16th - 19th centuries as Knights of the Golden Spur, each time when kings of Royal Hungary
Royal Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary between 1538 and 1867 was part of the lands of the Habsburg Monarchy, while outside the Holy Roman Empire.After Battle of Mohács, the country was ruled by two crowned kings . They divided the kingdom in 1538...
/the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
were crowned in the Cathedral of St Martin, also located within the walled city.
Two chapels and a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
from the 14th century stand adjacent to the church. One of them, the St. John the Evangelist Chapel, contains a crypt of the family of Jakub, an important Mayor
Mayor of Bratislava
Mayor of Bratislava is the highest political representative of the Slovak capital Bratislava. The Mayor's office is located at Primate's Square inside Primate's Palace, on the 3rd floor...
of Pressburg (Bratislava), modelled after the French Sainte Chapelle. The spacious rooms of the monastery have been used for meetings, mayoral elections and sessions of the Regional Parliament.
Interior
The main altar is flanked by statues of Saint Stephan and Saint Emeric. It is a bricked pillared construction, dating 1720-1730, above which stands a glass painting from the end of the 19th century, representing the AnnunciationAnnunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
.
The side altars are dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
, Saint Anthony of Padua (both dating from 1720-1730), Nativity
Nativity
-The birth of Jesus:* Nativity of Jesus, the Gospel story of the birth of Jesus* Nativity of Jesus in art, paintings depicting the Nativity* Nativity play, a dramatic production about the Nativity...
and Lady of Sorrows. Leaning against the choir, one can see the altars of St. Anne and St. Barbara, both from about 1750).
The rococo pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
dates from 1756. it is decorated with reliefs representing St. Francis receiving the stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
, St. Francis talking to the birds and Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
enforcing discipline to the Hebrews.
The rood loft, built in 1670, with the organ is supported by tuscan pillars.
Saint Reparat relic
The church contains a rare relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
; the torso of Saint Reparat, deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
and christian martyr from the 4th century. The relic is inside a purpose-built reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
(shrine).
Saint Reparat worked as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the city of Nola
Nola
Nola is a city and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the province of Naples, situated in the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines...
near Neapoli
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He died in the 353, having his tongue cut out and his right hand cut off. He was buried in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the cemetery of Saint Lawrence until 1769 when he was dug out at the request of Eugen Kósa and moved to Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. Today, Saint Reparat is the patron of those wanting to change their life for the better. In the past, he was also common visiting place of students of Bratislava.
Chapel of Saint John the Evangelist
This chapel with a cryptCrypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
was built in Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century. It was the funeral chapel of the family Jakubovec. The chapel contains statues of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, Saint Louis IX, Saint Clare of Assisi and Saint Elisabeth of Hungary. The chapel is considered one of the most significant works of Gothic architecture in Slovakia. It was reconstructed in 1831.
External links
See also
- Franciscan order