St. Martin´s Cathedral in Bratislava
The St. Martin's Cathedral (Slovak: Katedrála svätého Martina) is a church in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Bratislava. It is situated at the western border of the historical city center below Bratislava Castle. It is the largest and finest, as well as 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 hill adjacent, and somewhat similar in its striking but fairly stark Gothic lines and colouring, St Martin's 85 m 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.
As with the castle, the surroundings of St Martin's are as memorable as the structure itself. In the cathedral’s case, this includes the picturesque remains of outbuildings in a spacious staired courtyard, and a working seminary with robed adepts on a cobblestoned sidestreet. 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 bridge. The cathedral contains the body of Saint John the Merciful from the 7th Century.
The cathedral became the coronation church of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1563, succeeding the Virgin Mary Church in Székesfehérvár, once Székesfehérvár was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. On 8 September 1563 the Crown of St. Stephen was placed on the head of Maximilian II, son of Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg. In total, the coronations of 11 kings and queens plus 8 of their consorts took place here between 1563 and 1830, including that of Maria Theresa of Austria.
List of crowned kings/queens and of their consorts, with dates in parentheses:
Maximilian II (8 September 1563)
Maria, wife of Maximilian II (9 September 1563)
Rudolf II (25 September 1572)
Matthias (19 November 1608)
Anna, wife of Matthias (25 March 1613)
Ferdinand II (1 July 1618)
Eleonore, second wife of Ferdinand II (26 July 1622)
Maria Anna, first wife of Ferdinand III (14 February 1638)
Ferdinand IV (16 June 1647)
Eleanor, third wife of Ferdinand III (6 June 1655)Leopold I (27 June 1655)
Joseph I (9 December 1687)
Charles III (22 May 1712)
Elisabeth Christine, wife of Charles III (18 October 1714)
Maria Theresa (25 June 1741)
Leopold II (15 November 1790)
Maria Ludovika, third wife of Francis I (7 September 1808)
Caroline Augusta, fourth wife of Francis I (25 September 1825)
Ferdinand V (28 September 1830)
St. Martin´s Cathedral in Bratislava
The St. Martin's Cathedral (Slovak: Katedrála svätého Martina) is a church in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Bratislava. It is situated at the western border of the historical city center below Bratislava Castle. It is the largest and finest, as well as 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 hill adjacent, and somewhat similar in its striking but fairly stark Gothic lines and colouring, St Martin's 85 m 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.
As with the castle, the surroundings of St Martin's are as memorable as the structure itself. In the cathedral’s case, this includes the picturesque remains of outbuildings in a spacious staired courtyard, and a working seminary with robed adepts on a cobblestoned sidestreet. 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 bridge. The cathedral contains the body of Saint John the Merciful from the 7th Century.
The cathedral became the coronation church of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1563, succeeding the Virgin Mary Church in Székesfehérvár, once Székesfehérvár was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. On 8 September 1563 the Crown of St. Stephen was placed on the head of Maximilian II, son of Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg. In total, the coronations of 11 kings and queens plus 8 of their consorts took place here between 1563 and 1830, including that of Maria Theresa of Austria.
List of crowned kings/queens and of their consorts, with dates in parentheses:
Maximilian II (8 September 1563)
Maria, wife of Maximilian II (9 September 1563)
Rudolf II (25 September 1572)
Matthias (19 November 1608)
Anna, wife of Matthias (25 March 1613)
Ferdinand II (1 July 1618)
Eleonore, second wife of Ferdinand II (26 July 1622)
Maria Anna, first wife of Ferdinand III (14 February 1638)
Ferdinand IV (16 June 1647)
Eleanor, third wife of Ferdinand III (6 June 1655)Leopold I (27 June 1655)
Joseph I (9 December 1687)
Charles III (22 May 1712)
Elisabeth Christine, wife of Charles III (18 October 1714)
Maria Theresa (25 June 1741)
Leopold II (15 November 1790)
Maria Ludovika, third wife of Francis I (7 September 1808)
Caroline Augusta, fourth wife of Francis I (25 September 1825)
Ferdinand V (28 September 1830)