11 November 2008

cathedral of crowns

KatedrĂ¡la sv. Martina / Bratislava, Slovakia
The Cathedral of St. Martin's is situated at the western border of the historical city center below Bratislava Castle. It is the largest and one of the oldest churches in Bratislava. It is known especially for serving as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary beginning in 1563. On 8 September 1563, the Crown of St. Stephen was placed on the head of Maximilian II, son of Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg. In total, the coronations of 11 kings and queens plus 8 of their consorts took place here between 1563 and 1830. The tower is topped by a huge gold-plated representation of the Crown of St. Stephen and was placed there in 1847 following the recovery of the tower damaged by lightning and then a subsequent fire, to commemorate the cathedral's glory and importance as a coronation church. St. Martin's has existed, in one form or another, on its current site since the early 1200's taking on its present semi-Gothic appearance in the mid-1800's.

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