Holy Spirit Church: A Baroque Hospital Church in Košice
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Slovakia
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Habsburg, Hungarian
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Church
On this page5 sections
History
Holy Spirit Church, also called the Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit, is a Roman Catholic church in Košice, Slovakia. Built from 1730 to 1733, it is a small Baroque church, in a European artistic and architectural style that flourished from the 17th into the 18th century, and the oldest known building in Košice-Juh. Its dedication refers to the Holy Spirit, understood in mainstream Christian traditions as the third person of the Trinity.
Medieval charitable complex
A municipal poorhouse and charitable hospital occupied the site from the 13th century. The complex served elderly and poor people, orphans, people without homes, and the sick. It included an earlier Church of the Holy Spirit, built around the middle of the 13th century.
The hospital complex stood beyond Košice’s town walls, where enemy armies could attack it. After the earlier church suffered substantial damage, it was demolished in the early 18th century.
The present church and its later history
The present church replaced the medieval one on the same site. Its location also affected limits on suburban building heights, intended to preserve the fortified city’s view over the surrounding countryside. An inn once stood opposite the church complex and was associated with a 1770 visit to Košice by Joseph II, the Habsburg ruler and Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790.
The church was listed as a Slovak National Cultural Monument on 16 October 1963. The building is now used as a retirement home.
Remains
Church and interior
The relatively small Baroque church stands near Košice’s historic centre, at the beginning of Južná trieda and on the axis of the former hospital buildings. It has adjoining rooms and can accommodate up to 200 people. A fresco, a painting made on wet plaster, covers the church vault and depicts Košice in the early 18th century, encircled by its high town walls. The painting on the main altar was made by J. Mathauser in 1894.
