[SK]
Kostol leží pri slovensko-ceskej hranici blízko velkomoravského sídla Mikulcice - Valy. Na základe leteckého prieskumu sa južne od neho predpokladá zatial neodkrytý velmožský dvorec, ktorého by mal byt súcastou. V okolí kostola existovali malé osady až do 13. storocia. Ked zaniklo pôvodné velkomoravské hradisko, obyvatelia sa zacali postupne z osád stahovat a poslední z nich odišli približne v 16. – 17. storocí. Kostol však slúžil nadalej až do 18. storocia, ked bol postavený nový kostol priamo v dedine Kopcany. Neskôr sa tu až do roku 1994 konali len príležitostné bohoslužby pri púti, ktorá súvisela s patrónkou kostola, svätou Margitou z Antiochie. Ku kostolu patril aj prilahlý cintorín, na ktorom sa pochovávalo až do 17. – 18. storocia a zachoval sa až do 20. storocia.
Kostol je pôvodná predrománska stavba so zachovanými pôvodnými bocnými múrmi takmer ku korunnej rímse. Ide o jednolodový kostol s jednotlivými miestnostami zoradenými za sebou (predsien – lod – presbytérium). Dlžka kostola s nartexom je 11,9 m, šírka lode a nartexu 5,21 m. Pocas svojej existencie bol viackrát upravovaný, v 13. storocí bol upravený v gotickom štýle. Vo svojej dobe bol netypicky postaveným kostolom a dodnes pritahuje pozornost historikov. Obsahuje vela pôvodných prvkov a architektonických detailov, ktoré sú predmetom výskumu (napr. pôvodné okenné otvory, povrchová úprava stien, valená klenba v presbytériu, znaky vyryté do kamena na fasáde).
Prvý archeologický výskum kostola a jeho okolia sa zacal v roku 1964. Nan nadväzoval další výskum, ktorý zacal v roku 1994. Pocas týchto výskumov sa v roku 2004 našli tri hroby so šperkami typickými pre velkomoravské obdobie a maltovinou vo velkosti a v tvare charakteristickom pre fázu murovania a omietania, na základe ktorej kostol pôvodne datovali. Nakolko bol v tom case jedinou známou stále stojacou sakrálnou stavbou na území bývalého Cesko-Slovenska, získal širokú mediálnu pozornost. Podobné zachované stavby sa nachádzajú v krajinách, ktoré patrili v 8. a 9. storocí do Franskej ríše, resp. inde v západnej Európe. Pri datovaní je potrebné vylúcit najmä druhotnú kontamináciu hrobov stavebným materiálom. Podla neskoršej dendrochronologickej analýzy bol kostol postavený v druhej polovici 10. storocia, podobné datovanie (rok 925 ± 60) potvrdila aj rádiokarbónová analýza. Nakolko ani toto datovanie nebolo prijaté bez výhrad, nadalej sa spresnuje. Zároven sú známe aj dalšie kostoly, ktorých velkomoravský pôvod sa vyhodnocuje. Další archeologický výskum v Kopcanoch sa zameriava na rekonštrukciu historickej krajiny a jej osídlenia, a to najmä v 9. – 10. storocí. V roku 1995 bol kostolík vyhlásený za národnú kultúrnu pamiatku.
[EN]
The church lies at the Slovak-Czech border near the Great Moravian seat of Mikulcice - Valy. Based on an aerial survey, south of it is considered to be an uncovered grand palace, which should be a part of it. There were small settlements around the church until the 13th century. When the original Great Moravian castle disappeared, the inhabitants started to withdraw gradually from the settlements and the last of them left about in the 16th - 17th centuries. However, the church continued to serve until the 18th century, when a new church was built right in the village of Kopcany. Later, until 1994, only occasional worship services were held in the wilderness, which was related to the patron saint of the church, Saint Margitta of Antioch. The adjoining cemetery belonged to the church, which was buried until the 17th and 18th centuries and was preserved until the 20th century.
The church is an original pre-Roman building with preserved original walls almost to the roof. It is a one-storied church with individual rooms arranged one behind the other (hall-main room-presbyterium). The length of the church with the narthex is 11.9 m, the breadth of the main room and the narthex 5.21 m. During its existence, it was several times modified, in the 13th century it was modified in Gothic style. In his time, he was an atypical church, and still attracts the attention of historians. It contains many of the original elements and architectural details that are the subject of the research (eg original window openings, wall surface finishes, vaulted vault in the presbytery, stones engraved on the facade).
The first archaeological research of the church and its surroundings began in 1964. Next followed up with further research that began in 1994. During these researches, three graves were found in 2004 typical of the Great Moravian period and other time-identifiable artifacts. Whereas it is the only known still standing sacral structure on the territory of the former Czechoslovakia, gained wide media attention. Similar preserved buildings are found in the countries that belonged to the Frankish Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries, respectively elsewhere in Western Europe. When dated, it is necessary to exclude secondary contamination of graves by building materials. According to a later dendrochronological analysis, the church was built in the second half of the 10th century, similar dating (year 925 ± 60) was confirmed by radio-carbon analysis. As much as this dating was not accepted without reservations, it is further specified. At the same time, other churches, whose great-Moravian origin is evaluated, are also known. Another archaeological research at Kopcanoch focuses on the reconstruction of the historical landscape and its settlement, especially in the 9th - 10th centuries. In 1995, the church was declared a national cultural monument.
Info sources:
wikipedia
Planet slovakia
Slovanské hradiská
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