St Anthony of Padua Church, Košice

St. Anthony of Padua Church or commonly known as the Franciscan Church (Slovak: Františkánsky kostol) or the Seminary Church (Slovak: Seminárny kostol) at Hlavná ulica (English: Main Street) is the second oldest church in Košice, Slovakia.[1][2]

The Franciscan Church

History

It was built for Franciscans by the Perényi family from Perín after a big fire in 1333. After the fire in 1556, the church was used as a military store-house. From 1596 to 1671, it was used as a cathedral for the bishop of Eger who settled here during the occupation of Eger by the Ottoman Empire.[2]

When the Diocese of Košice was formed in 1804, the renovated Franciscan monastery became the St Charles Borromeo Seminary.[3]

Interior

The interior is baroquized, the main altar has a valuable baldachin structure. The statue of Saint Charles Borromeo, a patron of the seminary, is on its cupola. Almost all the altars, the pulpit and other moveables are from years 1760–1770. Its preserved Gothic elements document a plaster Gothic decoration. The reliefs above the entrance, stone seats close to the altar and vaults above the sanctuary and former chancel (dedicated to Saint Nicholas) are original.[3]

The founder of the first University of Košice, the bishop of Eger, Benedikt Kisdy, was buried in the crypt under the main altar. All the crypts were plundered by soldiers after World War II.[3]

See also

References
  1. St Anthony of Padua Church Archived 24 June 2013 at Archive.today from Slovakia.travel retrieved 16 June 2013
  2. The Seminary Church from Visit Kosice.eu retrieved 16 June 2013
  3. Franciscan Church from TouristEye.com retrieved 16 June 2013

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