Skalica - Church of St. Francis Xavier
The history of the Jesuit church dates back to 1693, when the foundation stone was laid not only for the church but also for schools and colleges. The construction took almost thirty years. It is consecrated to Francis Xavier. The Jesuits founded a high school in Skalica. For a large number of religious and students it was promoted to college. In 1724 the church was hit by a fire. Fifty years later, the Jesuits left the town and the church was taken over by the Paulines for a short time.
In the past, there were originally eight altars in the church. However, only the main altar with the painting, on which Francis Xavier together with the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul are depicted has been preserved. The image of the patron is one of the largest paintings in Slovakia with dimensions of 3.5x6.5 meters. It dates back to the mid-18th century and the author of the painting is unknown. The church deteriorated for a long time and many parts of the interior were taken to other churches. Only the above-mentioned main altar, a fresco in the side Chapel of Our Lady, has been preserved.
The church underwent a complete reconstruction in 2011, which was also the most extensive reconstruction in the history of Skalica. The exterior as well as the interior of the church were renovated. A ceremonial opening of the reconstructed church took place on 27 November 2011. This day begins the next stage of the church as a cultural and social centre in Skalica. The church has a unique acoustics, which is, at the same time, the best acoustics in Central Europe. The Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic even awarded the church the Cultural Heritage of the Year 2011 award. The church belongs to the property of the town and is not used for worship purposes.
Source: http://www.regionzahorie.sk/jezuitsky-kostol-skalica-akustika
Contact information:
Address: Škarniclovská street no. 100/1, 909 01 Skalica
Telephone: +421 34,664 53 41
e-mail: tik@mesto.skalica.sk
Web: http://www.tikskalica.sk
