Spišská kapitula

Spišská Kapitula was originally an independent village, but in 1948 it became an administrative part of the village of Spišské Podhradie. The village arose around a central hill with a church and it still keeps its religious character. The Roman-Catholic church has had a seat there since the middle 13th century. The village was surrounded by stonewalls, built between 1662-1665. In 1776 it became a seat of the Spiš Holy See. Its population was about 250-300 people for centuries. It consisted mostly of the Holy See officials and the servants. Houses were built along both sides of the only street, with two gates, one at each end. Spišská Kapitula is today a municipal cultural reservation. The St. Martin Cathedral is the dominant cultural monument in the village. It was built in 1245-1273, in the late Roman style with two towers. Later it was enlarged by additional buildings, mainly the Zápoľský Chapel, built in the Gothic style. The cathedral has particularly valuable interior, especially the Gothic altars, statues, tomb stones, chalices, bells, etc. Fresco paintings from 1317; portray the coronation ceremony of the King Charles Robert. Inside of the cathedral you will also find the oldest known Roman-style sculpture in Slovakia - Leo Albus. The village stonewalls at both Upper and Lower Gates, as well as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque canonical houses, still remain well preserved. Furthermore, you will find here the late Renaissance Bishop Palace with some baroque features from 1652, the clock tower from 1739 and the originally Gothic, with Renaissance and Baroque modifications, building of the Theological College.