The Basilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary on the hill Marianska hora
On the hill Marianska hora near Levoča is the Basilica of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in the Eastern Slovakia
The first written record on the church dates back to 1247, to the times when the new Levoča was founded. According to the chronicle of Lányi, the locals built a church or chapel on today's hill Olivová hora (Olive Hill). On the hill, the small church was exposed to unfavorable weather conditions that took its toll. Eventually, the church had to be demolished. The church was later built again and rebuilt several times to its present form
Gradually, this place has become a pilgrimage site for believers from the Central and Eastern Slovakia. Once a church, the building has been promoted to a basilica by Pope John Paul II. In 1995, thanks to the presence of the pope, the pilgrimage to the site attracted more than 650,000 people. Every year during the first weekend of July, worshippers can join a pilgrimage to the top of the hill. You can reach the place on foot or by shuttle bus service. From the center of Levoča it is about 6 kilometers to reach the Basilica.
The church (basilica minor) is a neo-Gothic cloister built according to the project by Anton Müller. The longitudinal boat is 27 meters wide, the cruise ship is 16 meters wide. The church is 42.5 meters long.
The church was consecrated on July 2, 1922 with the participation of a large number of worshippers. The consecration was performed by Ján Vojtaššák, Bishop of Spiš. The statue of the Virgin Mary on the main altar in the basilica on the hill Marianska hora dates back to the first half of the 15th century, thus evidencing the lasting veneration of the Virgin Mary by the Slovak nation.
Titulná foto: Jano Štovka MQEP
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