The village of Trhová Hradská originally had – at least according to historical sources – a wooden church dedicated to St. George the Martyr. However, it was washed away by a medieval flood. For approximately three and a half decades, religious services were held in a “holy tent,” and only much later was a stone church built. It was consecrated in 1672 in honor of St. Anthony of Padua.
This church did not last long either, as it fell victim to a fire in 1754. Count József Batthyány, then Provost of Bratislava – later Cardinal Archbishop of Esztergom – initiated its reconstruction and covered most of the expenses himself. After the church was completed, he consecrated it again in 1757 as Provost of Bratislava, once more in honor of St. Anthony of Padua.
As the settlement was large and the congregation numerous, the church consecrated by Batthyány soon proved too small. Therefore, in 1906 it was enlarged and provided with a transept and two side aisles. Once again, most of the costs were covered by the collegiate chapter, and the beautiful stained-glass windows adorning the church walls reflect the generous donations of the provost and individual canons.
On the choir gallery stand wooden statues of St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus. In one of the side aisles, three memorial plaques have been placed. The central plaque lists the soldiers who fell in the First World War, while the marble plaques on either side bear the names of the victims of the Second World War.
Galéria
