Location
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Slovakia

St. Elisabeth Cathedral

The main landmark of the square and the entire city of Košice is the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth. In Slovakia, I am the largest free-standing church building and at the same time the easternmost Western-type cathedral in Europe. I measure 60.5 m in length and 39.5 m in the transverse axis. The northern tower of the temple reaches a height of 58.5 m. The construction was carried out under the royal supervision in several stages from 1380 and I can say that I am still not finished. I was originally designed as a five-nave basilica. Due to natural disasters and wars, I acquired a different form - I became a five-nave dome with a transept. Despite modifications after fires and earthquakes in the 19th century, I have preserved many original Gothic elements and valuable artistic creations. They include, for example, the magnificent northern portal with a tympanum depicting the Last Judgment. The medieval water spout in the southwest corner is also interesting. It has the form of a woman, which probably represents the wife of the builder Štefan. In this form, the master allegedly punished her for drinking too much wine. In the interior of the church, the main altar of St. Elizabeth, built between 1474 and 1477, deserves special attention. It includes the largest European collection of 48 Gothic panel paintings. The influence of the Dutch and Swabian schools is noticeable on the sculptural and painting decoration of the altar. Among the liturgical objects, the rarest are the works of goldsmith J. Szilassy from the 18th century, which are a national cultural monument.