Zolna_uvod

The Church of St.Matthew in Zolná

On the mild hill over the village there is situated one of the jewels of  the early gothics in the Central Slovakia – the Church of St.Matthew , originally the Church of St. Stephen Martyr. Brothers Bychor and Zubrata, sons of Zvolen District Administrator Tobias got a permission to build the church from Ostrihom archbishop  Thomas paper from 1311. The church anyway exists from as early as 1280 .  It is one single-aisle building with polygonal  presbytery, western bastion, northern sacristy and eastern apse. Fresco-paintings which survived up to recent days are one hundred years younger (1380). In the 15 th century was the church partially rebuilt – ribbed vault, portals. In the 18 th century the church underwent baroque reconstruction. Medieval fresco-paintings were disclosed in 1937 and then they were whited out again. During the Second World War was the church partly damaged. In 1968 it was repaired, the fresco-paintings were renovated in the nineties of the last century  when there was realized an archaeological research . The church is interesting by merging the early Gothic – ribbed vault, window with pointed arch, gothic fresco-paintings together with Roman style – remnants of circular columns on the corners of the church and half-circular windows in presbytery. Interesting to mention is that Prince Charles visited the Church of St. Matthew in 2000.