115 years ago, they began to build Bratislava’s current symbol

It belongs to the symbol of the capital. Due to its unmistakable blue color and Art Nouveau style, the Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary is known as the Blue Church in the hearts of Bratislavans and is one of the most visited historical monuments in Bratislava.

For many residents of the capital, this is where they get married or baptized.

Today (August 23) is the 115th anniversary of the foundation stone of the church, which was laid on August 23, 1909. The church, which is 30.9 meters long and has a wall height of 11 meters, was built.

It was created thanks to the sponsorship

The history of this church dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary dates back to 1906. It was during this period that the Hungarian architect and representative of the Art Nouveau movement, Edmund Lechner, began to draw up plans for the Catholic Royal Main Gymnasium (now the Sports Hall) in Bratislava, located on Grösslingová Street, and it was requested that the above-mentioned church be included in it.

Its creation is attributed to Countess Gabriela Sapareva, patron saint of sacred buildings, who financed the construction of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Blumenthal) in Bratislava. The Blue Church was inaugurated on October 11, 1913 and is now part of the Old Town of Bratislava.

It is a single-nave building with a cylindrical tower attached. Both the interior and exterior of the church are painted in light blue. The building has Art Nouveau elements. They consist of ornaments and regularly repeated natural motifs of leaves and flowers. The walls of the building are decorated with blue majolica tiles. Right angles in the decoration are replaced by gentle arches.

The blue wooden pews inside the church are also decorated with ornaments with natural motifs of stylized leaves and flowers. The roof is covered with blue glazed tiles. The building also includes an oval tower that is 36.8 meters high.

Countess Sapareva ordered the construction of not only an entrance to the temple on the school side, but also another one from Bezrukova Street – currently it serves as the main entrance.

You can also find it in Brussels

The mosaic above the main entrance door depicts St. John. Elizabeth, daughter of King Ondrej II of Hungary, has many roses hidden in her cloak. This scene is related to a miracle that occurred when the noble Elizabeth once left the castle to give bread to the hungry.

Family members stopped her in confusion and asked what she was hiding in her apron. God wanted to protect her from the wrath of her relatives, so he miraculously justified her hastily made up excuse for the rose and turned the bread into flowers. An image of this saint is also located on the main altar inside the church.

Near the Blue Church is the Monument to the Unborn Child designed by artist František Guldan, unveiled on October 30, 1997.

Interestingly, a scaled-down replica of St. Elizabeth’s Church in Bratislava, Hungary can be found in the Mini-Europe Park in Brussels, where models of European countries with added value and cultural significance in the field of architecture are placed.