The first Early Baroque building of national significance in Slovakia, the university Cathedral of St John the Baptist is one of the most valuable historical monuments of Trnava.
The Italian builder Pietro Spazzo built it in 1637 and it formed part of the university complex. The single-nave two-tower church is oriented to the west. It is 61 metres long and 28 metres wide. A shield with figures of sitting angles and stone coat of arms of Esterházy family is above its main portal.
The interior of the church is surprisingly bulky and the paintings are unique and varied. The monumental wooden main altar from 1640 by B. Knilling and V. Knoth dominates in its interior. V. Stadler of Trnava and master Ferdinand of Cífer participated in its production. The altar is 20.3 m tall and 14.8 m wide. It is one of the biggest altars of its kind in Europe.
However, its stucco ornamentation by Italian masters is also intriguing.
The university church is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Bratislava and Trnava diocese since 1977. The important milestone in its history is the visit of Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Source: Vydavateľstvo Dajama
