ST MARTIN’S CATHEDRAL

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA

PAUL SCOTT

HISTORY

[Wikipedia]

The St Martin’s Cathedral (Slovak: Katedrála svätého Martina, Hungarian: Szent Márton-dóm or Koronázó templom, German: Kathedrale des Heiligen Martin) is a church in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bratislava.

It is situated at the western border of the historical city centre below Bratislava Castle. It is the largest and one of the oldest churches in Bratislava, known especially for being the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830.

Together with the castle on the adjacent hill, and somewhat similar in its striking but fairly stark Gothic lines and colouring, St Martin’s 85 m (279 ft) spire dominates Old Town’s skyline. The tower virtually formed a part of the town’s fortifications, built as it was into the city’s defensive walls.

A small but significant neighbour of the Cathedral is a monument to the synagogue, which stood next door for centuries until the Communist government demolished it around 1970 to make room for a new Nový Most bridge. The Cathedral contains the remains of Saint John the Merciful who died in the early 7th Century.

Structure, shape and characteristics
The nave of the structure consists of three aisles divided by two rows of eight columns. It has an overall floor area of 69.37 m × 22.85 m (227.6 ft × 75.0 ft) with a maximum height of 16.02 m (52.6 ft). The tower is 85 m (279 ft) high and at one time was part of the medieval city fortifications. The Cathedral is constructed in the traditional cruciform shape.

Together with the castle on the adjacent hill, and somewhat similar in its striking but fairly stark Gothic lines and colouring, St Martin’s 85 m spire dominates Old Town’s skyline.

As with the castle, the surroundings of St Martin’s are as memorable as the structure itself. The cathedral sits amid picturesque remains of outbuildings in a spacious staired courtyard, and a working seminary with robed adepts on a cobblestoned side-street. The tower is capped by a replica of the Hungarian Crown resting on a gilded pillow.

The altar is dominated by an equestrian statue group depicting St. Martin in a typical Hungarian hussar dress. The saint is dividing his cloak to give part to a beggar as protection from the cold.

Construction history
Long before the construction of the Cathedral, the site had been the crossroads and contained the former centre of the town, a market and probably also a chapel. Worship services were held at Bratislava Castle, where the chapter and provost’s office had their seat. As the visits became less bearable and the castle’s safety was threatened, King Emeric of Hungary requested the Pope Innocent II for permission to relocate the provost’s office into the forecastle, and The Pope assented in 1204. The church was relocated in 1221, and was originally built in Romanesque style and sanctified to the Holy Saviour.

As the town grew into a city and received additional privileges in 1291, the sanctuary became insufficient for its needs. Construction of a new Gothic Cathedral began in 1311 on the site of the earlier church and an adjacent cemetery.

Construction continued until 1452 due to building difficulties and lack of funding. For a period in the early fifteenth century, construction halted due to the Hussite Wars. In 1452, the church was finally completed and consecrated; however, work continued until the sixteenth century. During this period, a new long presbytery and the Gothic chapels of Czech Queen Sofia and of Saint Anne were added in the 15th century.

Eighteenth century additions to the sanctuary include the Baroque Chapel of St. John the Merciful, and serves as a mausoleum. It was constructed at the price of 2000 pieces of gold at the expense of Cardinal Péter Pázmány and the famous Baroque equestrian sculpture of St Martin was added in 1744. Both works were designed by Georg Rafael Donner.

In 1760, the top of the Gothic tower was struck by lightning and later replaced by a Baroque one. This was subsequently destroyed by fire in 1835 and reconstructed in 1847 (with some modifications), and topped by the crown of St Stephen. The church attained its present-day appearance during the period 1869 to 1877, when it was re-Gothicised after suffering damage by fire, war, earthquake and other disasters.