YoungstownskeÌ SlovenskeÌ noviny = Youngstown Slovak news. (Youngstown, Ohio) 1910-1940, 1933-03-31
rector Of the club, with Mr..
Martin j. Lesnak and Michael
Bartos as club advisers. .
ENGLISH COLUMN

I =
bricks, excavated at various
points, indicate that the Romans
extended their dominion beyond
the Danube into the area which
is now Slovakia. As early as the
seventh century these regions
are inhabited by Slovaks who
had to defend themselves against
the Uralo.Altaic Avars. This
period is characterized by a
mixture Of Slavic and Avar in
fluences. In the ninth century
the Great Moravian state was an
important factor, but it was ex-
tinguished by the Magyars.
Stability did not ensue until
the time Of the building of cas-
ties and Of settlements round a.
bout them. Their ruins form
one of the picturesque attrac-
tions of present.day Slovakia. At
first the castles were but rudely
built structures for defense.
Gradually more ornate forms of
architecture were employed. The
apse Of the castle at Mira is a
remnant Of the old basilica con-
secrated about the year $50.
Some thirty years later the Slas.
onic apostles, Cyril and Metho-
dius, held services here. Parts
of the cathedral at Spisska Ia
pitula in the Spis, and the
churches at Deakovce, s. Bena-
dix on the Hron and a few
chapel rotundas, are remnants
of this early Slovak period.
Gothic monuments are to be
found in the Spis region. Re-
markable as a well-nigh perfect
example Of Gothic architecture
is the church of Saint James at
Levoea. The 21 metre high altar
is noteworthy. Nothing like it is
to be found in the West. King
Zapola s chapel at Spissky Stvr.
tok is one Of the most notable
edifices of this period, consist.
ing Of two Gothic stories above
each other. Bratislava, Kosice,
Bardiov, Presov and Trnava, car
also boast Of Gothic edifices. The
oldest frescoes date from The
year 1917. Spisska Kapitula.
Levoca, Bardiov and KezmaroI
have large wing altar paintings
in their churches.
The influence Of Renaissance
architecture, coming from Italy,
affected the building Of castles
first. Between the fifteenth and
eighteenth centuries most o1
the cities and towns of Spii
were under Polish rule. This in
fluenced the architecture Of the
period.
The Jesuits built the first ba
rogue churches. Prom the Da
nube the baroque style of archi.
lecture, emanating from Vienna
spread over all Slovakia. Tn.
baroque tower Of the Bratislavs
City Hall resembles that Of Durl
stetin in the Wachan region 0.
Austria. The castle at Bratisla
va was renovated by the EN-
press Maria Theresa, 174O-178O
At the foot Of the castle the mob
iity, which always initiate,
royalty, built their splendi'
palaces. The Grassalkovic Palac,
and the Palace Of the Primat,
are two remarkably fine speci
mems of this period. The in
teriors were 9exquisitely decorat
ed. This luxury loving era saw
the introduction Of fine tapes
tries and gobelins. Sculpture
decorate the exteriors, earring
the interiors Of these buildings
/ The Protestant church build
ings, especially the large wood
en- churches at Kexmarok ant
| in the village of Vel'k& Paludza
Liptov, are unique for Centra
Europe. The wooden Greek Cath
Ollie churches in Eastern Slova
kia and Subcarpathian Rnssi
are Of special interest since the,
are creations Of the common