Gymnaziálny kostol / Gymnasial Church - Levoca (North-East Slovakia)
N 49° 01.488 E 020° 35.075
34U E 469630 N 5430295
The Gymnasial Church (Gymnaziálny kostol) in Levoca, also called the Old Minorite Church or the Black Church, belongs to the largest churches and as well as the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture in Slovakia.
Waymark Code: WMW0R8
Location: Prešovský kraj, Slovakia
Date Posted: 06/23/2017
Views: 4
The Gymnasial Church (Gymnaziálny kostol) in Levoca, also called the Old Minorite Church (Starý kostol minoritov) or the Black Church (Cierny kostol), belongs to the largest churches and as well as the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture in Slovakia. The official full name of the church is "Kostol Panny Márie Královnej anjelov a sv. Ladislava / Church of Virgina Mary the Queen of Angels and Saint Ladislaus").
The church consecrated originally to St. Ladislaus was built thanks to finantial support of famous propagator of Gothic architecture in Slovakia, magister knight Ladislaus Donc (Donch, Dank), in the first half of the 14th century (1307-1309?) as a church of adjacent Franciscan (Minorite) convent. Managed by Protestants after expelling of Minorites from Levoca in 1544, church and convent were returned again into hands of Catholics in 1673 and later was under control of Jesuit Order (1686–1773) and Premostrates (1810–1851). Jesuits set up a gymnasium at the convent, so from that times church bears name "Gymnasial". The church and the convent complex, standing at the western Levoca walls, is a model example of the Central European Mendicant sacral architecture and belongs among unique structures of this type in Slovakia. The sacral art of the Middle Ages can be admired in the church itself, as well as in the unique Gothic cloister with fragments of frescoes, the convent garden and the fountain. The church is, except the Minorite convent, connected also with another historical Levoca monument - the Polish gate (Polská brana) - one of the three standing gates of the medieval fortifications of Levoca.
The Gymnasial Church is three nave pseudohall Gothic structure with prolonged presbytery. Church was partially rebuilt in Baroque style in 1671, but majority of Gothic architectural elements typical for works of the 14th century Levoca stonemasons guild (Levocská stvebná huta) influenced by Peter Parler Prague' workshop was preserved.
The Gymnasial Church is currently the filial church of Levoca Roman Catholic parish.