The Gothic Cathedral of St. Elizabeth: A Medieval Masterpiece

The main dominant of the second-largest city in Slovakia is the gothic cathedral Košice dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Both the interior and exterior boast many intricate features and details. I will highlight these in the following chapters.

History

Elizabeth of Hungary was the daughter of Hungarian prince Ondrej II and his wife Gertrude from Bavaria. She lived in the 13th century and became known for her acts of kindness, caring for the sick, beggars, and needy people. She inherited all the properties from her parents and passed them on to marginalized members of society. Such acts offended her relatives. They took away her children and her heritage rights and forced her to leave Wartburg.

Before the Gothic cathedral stood in Košice, the site was home to the oldest church in the city, dating back to the 11th century.

The foundations of the Roman-Gothic style are from the reconstruction between 1882 and 1884. A fire destroyed it later in 1380, but some artifacts survived.

During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Košice saw a rise in Protestant influence. They briefly held Protestant services at St. Elizabeth Cathedral. However, the Catholic Habsburgs led the Counter-Reformation to reclaim Catholic dominance.

The installation of Baroque altars and other Catholic symbols made the cathedral a symbol of Catholic resistance.

This struggle for religious control shaped the cathedral’s role in the community. The cathedral became a key site in Hungary’s religious shifts. By the late 17th century, the cathedral firmly returned to Catholic hands, reinforcing its Catholic identity in Košice.

Church of St. Michael

The chapel dates back to the 14th century. It used to stand right in the middle of a cemetery inside the town. The chapel is dedicated to St. Michael, the guide of souls to the afterlife. It consists of two parts. The bottom one used to be an ossuary filled with skeletons, and the upper one was used for requiem masses.

Architecture and design

Exterior

Northern Portal

The northern part turns to the inside of the town, to the fountain. It consists of two wooden doors. On the tympanum above are detailed depictions of the dramatic scenes of the Last Judgment. Christ is the central figure accompanied by saints, angels, devils, the Virgin Mary, and apostles. During the reconstruction, people added some neo-Gothic sculptures of saints and historical figures.

The northern side of the church includes the Monument of Francis II Rákóczi. His body remains were sent to Košice from Turkey, and they rest in the crypt since 24th July 1938.

Western Portal

The main gate into the gothic cathedral Košice. There are three gates, but they lack figurative ornaments. Over the main gate are two reliefs. One shows Jesus Christ in Gethsemane’s garden praying to his father. The other focuses on Jesus and his apostles Peter, James, and John.

Southern Portal

The southern part has two gates like the northern one. The portal differs from the previous two in that it is incorporated into the vestibule under the royal emporium. From a conceptual point of view, the most remarkable is the gothic arch of the vestibule with foliage ornamentation. Also, statues like the flying ravens or one beast draw some attention.

The southern side of the cathedral has a small staircase with a wide memorial floor. The names of famous people and companies who lived visited, or somehow contributed to its well-being have a special place on it.

When you stroll the floor, you will also notice a small wooden wall with a head above it. The head portrays Master Builder Weber as responsible for the construction.

Sigismund Tower

The highest tower is 59 meters high and has 160 stairs is open to the public during the daytime for a small fee. The first floor shows the mechanism of a big clock, the second one portrays construction for fastening bells, and the third has two big bells from 1924. One of them is named God’s Heart. It weighs 1530 kg and has names of fallen soldiers from WWI. The other one is Bell of St. Ondrej and weighs 450 kg.

Matthias Tower

Matthias Corvinus helped fund and build the tower. The tower walls feature double-winding spiral staircases that form a sort of maze. They ascend, descend, and only afterward lead up to the tower walkway. Conservationists uncovered stonemason symbols and medieval graffiti under the plaster on the tower stairs.

Interior

Main altar

The main altar belongs to the most important result of medieval art in Slovakia. It consists of two moving wings. Both have six paintings. Together, they form 48 scenes divided into three cycles: Elizabethan, Passion, and Advent.

Bronze Baptismal Font

The font, dating back to the 14th century, was built in the Roman-Gothic style. It is the oldest preserved artifact from the cathedral’s predecessor, the older church. The base of the font features triangular reliefs of lions and eagles. Its upper edge bears an unreadable Latin inscription. The top cover is from 1914.

Wall Frescoes

During the reconstructions in 1892, they discovered many original Gothic frescoes. Three are in the southern side apse, some others in the northern side apse near the sacristy. For example, The Descent from the Cross, The Scourging and Crowning with Thorns, Christus before Pilate.

Choir

The choir was completely replaced during the Great Reconstruction in the 19th century. Today, it is slightly longer and features more pillars than the original. Four Gothic polychrome sculptures and four Neo-Gothic sculptures of Hungarian kings adorn the pillars. You can access it via the staircase in the southern tower.

Spiral Staircase

The staircase dates back to the 15th century and is the oldest in Europe. Shortly after its construction, it inspired many builders in other countries, such as those in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and Graz, Austria.

Rákóczi Crypt

The crypt, built in 1906, is located on the northern side of the cathedral. The crypt houses not only the remains of Francisco II. Rákóczi but also those of his mother, Helena, and his elder son, Joseph. Additionally, it serves as the final resting place for several notable earls and their wives.

Local legends

Many legends surround the medieval castles scattered across Slovakia, and the Gothic Cathedral in Košice is no exception. My favorite is the tale of the gargoyle on the Matthias Tower. Unlike other gargoyles, this one depicts a human figure. She holds a cup in one hand and a bottle in the other. Some say that the master builder of the tower decided to portray his alcoholic wife.

For more on the unique architectural heritage of Košice, check out my guide to the best Socialist architecture in the city, and explore its most historic buildings and architectural gems.