Jurko location belongs to important early medieval sites. In the forest on a small promontory on the southern slopes of Marhát hill north of the village of Nitrianska Blatnica stands the rotunda of St. George and an early medieval settlement spread out below it. Archaeological research was carried out here in the years 1974-1980 under the leadership of A. Ruttkay. The rotunda has a cylindrical nave with a semicircular apse. A tower was later added to it from the west side and a small extension, the so-called hermitage, was added from the south side. The entrance to the rotunda was from the west side, where the tower stands today; the original portal has not been preserved. The original masonry has been preserved to a height of approximately 5.6 to 5.9 m. Recently, a small original window was uncovered on the southwest side during restoration research. The rotunda was plastered from the inside. In some places, fragments of frescoes from the oldest plasters were found, but they cannot be reconstructed more precisely, as well as consecration crosses apparently related to the consecration of the church.

Near the rotunda, two courtyards from the early Middle Ages were discovered during archaeological research. One was located near the church, had a quadrangular shape and a palisade fortification, after which gutters have been preserved. The second courtyard was located south of the church in the Púsť position (today there is an apple orchard there), which was also protected by a wooden palisade with rectangular corners. Part of the medieval cemetery was also discovered near the rotunda. The graves did not violate the foundations of the rotunda, they only encroached under the later-built tower and extension. It is therefore assumed that the rotunda was definitely standing when burials began. The beginning of burials can be dated to the mid-11th century at the latest, and its disappearance sometime in the 13th century.

The more precise dating of the construction of the rotunda is not clear. It is placed in the period from the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century.

If you want to take a look inside the church, you must first book an appointment by phone. During the season (July – August) every Saturday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, you can take part in a free guided tour and, thanks to the guide, learn a lot of interesting information from the history, which dates back to the 9th century.