Church of the Holy Cross in Devín
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Church of the Holy Cross in Devín
Discover the historic Parish Church of the Holy Cross in Devín, a remarkable 13th-century structure that beautifully blends Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. This church has undergone numerous reconstructions, each adding to its unique charm.
Explore the surrounding area, where a significant burial ground from the Great Moravian era has been unearthed. Among the fascinating discoveries is a tombstone adorned with rich symbolism, sparking intriguing speculation that it might be the final resting place of Saint Methodius.
Plan your visit to this architectural and archaeological gem and immerse yourself in the rich history and cultural heritage of Devín.
Discover the architectural and archaeological gem that is the Church of the Holy Cross in Devín. This historic church, believed to have originated as a one-nave, flat-roofed structure in the late 13th century, boasts a rich tapestry of architectural styles, including Romanesque, Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque, and Classical elements. Despite numerous reconstructions, its Gothic essence remains intact.
The crypt beneath the south aisle is considered the oldest part of the church. Significant construction work took place in 1420, during the ownership of Mikuláš Garay and his wife Anna, daughter of Count Herman of Cejle. Although no written records of this reconstruction survive, the church’s history is marked by resilience. It was burned down by the Turks in 1529 and later restored between 1672 and 1673.
In 1785, Anton Bernolák, the first codifier of the written Slovak language, stayed at the Devín parish with his friend, parish priest Michal Salaky, where he wrote and published his book “Nová bibliotheca” (New Bibliotheca). The church was dedicated to the veneration of the Holy Cross in 1820.
Plan your visit to this remarkable site and immerse yourself in the layers of history and culture that define the Church of the Holy Cross in Devín.
What can you visit here?
Information from history
History of the church
The Parish Church of the Holy Cross in Devín boasts a rich and intricate history. Originally constructed in the mid-13th century as a single-nave church with a square presbytery, it has undergone significant transformations over the centuries. By the late Gothic period, the church had expanded into a magnificent triple-nave structure. Notable restoration efforts took place between 1672 and 1673, preserving its ancient charm. In 1772, the church tower was redesigned, and new main and side entrances were added. The presbytery received a classical diamond vault in 1788, enhancing its architectural elegance. Visit this remarkable site to experience a blend of Gothic and classical styles, and immerse yourself in the historical ambiance of Devín.
Church of the Holy Cross – history
The church was built in the village as a relatively large building sometime in the 1330s-40s. It was a representative single nave in the full extent of the present main nave with a shorter square sanctuary. The walls of what was probably originally a flat-roofed nave survive to about two-thirds of their original height, and the side walls of the sanctuary survive at their full original height. The next construction phase followed the significant damage to the church during an attack by the armies of the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II in the 1370s. It included a significant rebuilding of the sanctuary, which was extended eastwards into a polygon and vaulted with a heavy rib vault. This was supported by massive lateral pillars preserved in the foundations. At the end of the sanctuary, the role of the pillars was taken over by the solid masonry of the corners, which created a straight eastern wall of the presbytery on the exterior. Subsequently, a rectangular sacristy with a vaulted vault was added on the north side of the sanctuary.
In the 14th century, the south chapel was added, originally it was to extend only to the south portal to the main nave. However, during construction it was extended to the west front of the nave. At the same time, a crypt with a stone vault was built under the extension. The chapel was vaulted with cross-rib vaults; only the newer west bay survives.
The north side aisle was also built as a side chapel in the second quarter of the 15th century. The chapel was connected to the nave by broken arcaded arches similar to those of the south aisle. The lower parts of the masonry of what is probably the original Gothic tower, preserved in the foundations of the present Baroque tower, also date from the late Gothic period. A Renaissance-style renovation was carried out in the second third of the 16th century, which was necessitated by the burning of the church by Turkish troops. The sacred space was then protected by bricking up the arcades connecting the original side aisles with the main one.
The church was Baroqueised during the restoration in the 1770s. The tower was added, the nave and the sanctuary were given vaults with buttressed ridge sections. Work continued in the 18th century, when the west front was completed with portals with statues in the lintels and additional statues in the gables. The illumination of the nave was designed with semicircular windows of the so-called thermal windows, and the Gothic windows of the side aisles were also adapted to the same shape. In the interior, the arcaded arches to the side aisles were reopened. A wooden pulpit, accessible by a staircase from the sacristy, was placed on the pillar of the arcade arch in the north-eastern part. A new lectern was built in the west part of the nave. The tower was also raised, its façade modified and roofed with a new roof of a typical onion shape. Access to the tower was solved by a staircase from the new extension.
A new sacristy was added to the south side of the sanctuary, and in 1788-1789 the restoration culminated in a representative refurbishment of the sanctuary with a new vaulted ceiling, ornamental wall paintings and, finally, the erection of a new high altar in connection with the change of patronage to the present-day Holy Cross. The central motif is thus the sculpture of the Crucified Christ, which was probably created in the workshop of the famous sculptor F. X. Messerschmidt, who worked in Bratislava at the end of his life.
Further repairs and modifications are mentioned for the years 1863, 1937 and 1949-1950. A major restoration was carried out in the 1970s and 1980s based on the results of research, together with the restoration of some elements, and continues today. The research in 2015-2017 has significantly changed our view of the earliest history of the church.
Where to get tourist information?
Contacts
The hillfort is in the administration of the Balneological Museum in Piešt’any.
Office of the parish Bratislava - Devín
Istrijská 15, 841 07 Bratislava, Slovakia
tel. +421 902 710 334
e-mail: fara.devinska@gmail.com
web: devinska.fara.sk
Local Authority Bratislava - Devín
Kremeľská 878/39, 84110 Bratislava - Devín, Slovakia
tel. +421 02 / 60 20 25 11
e-mail: info@devin.sk
web:www.devin.sk
How to get to the church?
If you travel by car, take advantage of the parking under the church. Bratislava is easily accessible by bus or train, and you can use public transport to get to Devín. You don’t need a car at all. There’s the bus 129 and the night bus N29, so you can’t get lost. The 129 timetable is here. N29 can be found here. The stop has the name: Cyril and Methodius.
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