Spišská Kapitula

Spišská Kapitula is a walled ecclesiastical settlement of a single street, with the cathedral of St Martin at one end and canons' houses along both sides, and almost nobody living in it who is not connected with the church, which has earned it the nickname of the Slovak Vatican. It is one of the associated cultural monuments named in the World Heritage inscription with Levoča and Spiš Castle. The cathedral is Romanesque with a Gothic chancel and a wall painting of a coronation.

Background

The name, Zipser Kapitel in German and Szepeshely in Hungarian, means the Spiš Chapter house. From the 12th century the settlement was the main seat of church administration in the region, and in 1776 the newly formed Diocese of Spiš took it as its seat, after Maria Theresa divided the Diocese of Eger. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, went up between the 13th and 15th centuries as a pseudo-basilica, with one transept, two aisles and a central nave. Its wall painting, dated 1317, shows the coronation of Charles I as King of Hungary. Many lords of Spiš Castle are buried inside, and the carved marble tombstones of the Zápolya family date from the 15th century.

Source: Wikipedia, "Spišská Kapitula"

What to look for

• St Martin's cathedral - a Romanesque church with a Gothic chancel and wall paintings.
• The single street - canons' houses lining the one lane inside the walls.
• The walls - the enclosure round the whole ecclesiastical settlement.
• The Spis Castle view - the castle on its hill directly across the valley.

When to go

April to October is the main season; the cathedral keeps shorter winter hours. Tours run to set times. Mornings are quietest.

Good to know

The cathedral is entered on a guided tour at set times rather than freely. The settlement is tiny and takes an hour. Photography inside is restricted.

Nearby

Spis Castle is across the valley, and Levoca is west.