Point of interest - Bratislava - Saint Martin's Cathedral

St Martin's Cathedral is one of the dominant buildings in the city, and has been the scene of cultural, religious and social events for centuries.

From 1563 to 1830, 11 kings and 8 queens, including Maria Theresa, were crowned here. The first church on this site was built in 1221 in the Romanesque style. A new church was built on the site of the old church in 1311-14, and in later centuries this building was also rebuilt and enlarged several times. It was rebuilt in its present form between 1863 and 1878. The interior of the church is 69,3 m long and 22,85 m wide. The tower is 87 metres high. The cross was replaced by a decorative pillow on which the 300 kg gilded Hungarian crown was placed. The naves of the dome are separated by two rows of eight columns. In the south nave stands a masterpiece of Baroque art, a statue of St. Martin and the beggar by Georg Raphael Donner. The symbolic footprint of Saint Martin, inaugurated by Bishop Jan Orosch and Mayor Andrej Ďurkovsky on 11 November 2007, is placed on the pedestal of the statue.

The sub-church under the cathedral contains the tombs of several important historical figures. Among others, Peter Pázmány is buried here.