Žehra
Encyclopedia
For a list of people and places with the name Zehra or its variants, see Zehra (name)
Žehra is a village
and municipality
in the Spišská Nová Ves District
in the Košice Region
of central-eastern Slovakia
.
.
The Church of the Holy Spirit was completed in 1275. It is noted both for its picturesque appearance, perched on a mound above the village, and for its remarkable series of wall paintings. These have survived despite much damage to the building, including a fire in the 15th century which burnt down its original ceiling. The remaining building is a single nave
structure, topped with onion-shaped domes of the 17th century.
The oldest wall paintings are a set of eight consecrational crosses, marking the spots where the original building was christened with holy chrism
, and thus dating back to the 13th century.
Later in the 13th century, a second stage of painting is marked by the depiction of Golgotha on the tympanum
of the church's south doorway.
Fresco
es in the sanctuary
, dating from the 14th century, showing Byzantine
influence, include representations of the Last Judgement, the Last Supper
, the Deposition
and Saints Cosmas and Damian
, the patron saints of doctors.
On the north wall are two notable 'framed' frescoes, one depicting the Pietà
, the other showing a symbolic Tree of Life
which dramatises the triumph of the Church over the Synagogue
.
Later frescoes date from the 15th century.
These paintings were preserved because after an outbreak of plague in the 17th century, the interior of the church was covered with lime plaster
for disinfection. They were discovered again in the 1950s when the lime was removed using cottage cheese
- effective for this purpose because it contains casein
.
The church was declared a Czechoslovak National Monument in 1985, and in 1993 was listed as a World Heritage Site
together with the nearby Spiš Castle
, Spišská Kapitula
and (since 2009) the nearby town of Levoča
.
Žehra is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Spišská Nová Ves District
Spišská Nová Ves District
Spišská Nová Ves District is a district in the Košice Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Spiš, apart from a small area around the...
in the Košice Region
Košice Region
The Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
of central-eastern 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...
.
Geography
The village lies at an altitude of 426 metres and covers an area of 9.658 km². It has a population of about 1700 people.Žehra Church
The village was first mentioned in local records in 1245, when Count Johann of Žehra was given permission to construct a church there by the church authorities of SpišSpiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
.
The Church of the Holy Spirit was completed in 1275. It is noted both for its picturesque appearance, perched on a mound above the village, and for its remarkable series of wall paintings. These have survived despite much damage to the building, including a fire in the 15th century which burnt down its original ceiling. The remaining building is a single nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
structure, topped with onion-shaped domes of the 17th century.
The oldest wall paintings are a set of eight consecrational crosses, marking the spots where the original building was christened with holy chrism
Chrism
Chrism , also called "Myrrh" , Holy anointing oil, or "Consecrated Oil", is a consecrated oil used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, in the Assyrian Church of the East, and in Old-Catholic churches, as well as Anglican churches in the administration...
, and thus dating back to the 13th century.
Later in the 13th century, a second stage of painting is marked by the depiction of Golgotha on the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
of the church's south doorway.
Fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es in the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, dating from the 14th century, showing Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
influence, include representations of the Last Judgement, the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
, the Deposition
Descent from the Cross
The Descent from the Cross , or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion . In Byzantine art the topic became popular in the 9th century, and in the West from the...
and Saints Cosmas and Damian
Saints Cosmas and Damian
Saints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers, physicians, and early Christian martyrs born in Cilicia, part of today's Turkey. They practiced their profession in the seaport of Ayas, Adana, then in the Roman province of Syria...
, the patron saints of doctors.
On the north wall are two notable 'framed' frescoes, one depicting the Pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
, the other showing a symbolic Tree of Life
Tree of Life
The tree of life in the Book of Genesis is a tree planted by God in midst of the Garden of Eden , whose fruit gives everlasting life, i.e. immortality. Together with the tree of life, God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . According to some scholars, however, these are in fact...
which dramatises the triumph of the Church over the Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
.
Later frescoes date from the 15th century.
These paintings were preserved because after an outbreak of plague in the 17th century, the interior of the church was covered with lime plaster
Lime plaster
Lime plaster is type of plaster composed of hydrated lime, sand and water. Lime plaster is similar to Lime mortar, the main difference is the based on use rather than composition. Traditional lime plaster contains also horse hair to reinforce plaster....
for disinfection. They were discovered again in the 1950s when the lime was removed using cottage cheese
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
- effective for this purpose because it contains casein
Casein
Casein is the name for a family of related phosphoprotein proteins . These proteins are commonly found in mammalian milk, making up 80% of the proteins in cow milk and between 60% and 65% of the proteins in human milk....
.
The church was declared a Czechoslovak National Monument in 1985, and in 1993 was listed as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
together with the nearby Spiš Castle
Spiš Castle
The ruins of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš...
, Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula, is an exceptionally well-preserved ecclesiastical town on the outskirts of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia, and overlooking Spiš Castle. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.-Town and history:The town consists of St....
and (since 2009) the nearby town of Levoča
Levoca
Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
.
Source
- The Church of the Holy Spirit, Žehra, Košice, 2005