Archaeologists find hidden passages in downtown Trenčín

Unveiling not only remains, but entire sections of underground passages, archaeologists in Trenčín have revealed a hidden history beneath the city's pedestrian zone, which is being revitalised.

Sládkovičova Street, where remnants of the fortification system have also been discovered, connected areas both inside and outside the city walls in the past.

"We have discovered the remains of underground passages and compact sets of underground passages, which are probably related to the Piarist church and other structures in the city," said Drahoslav Hulínek, head of archaeological research, as quoted by the My Trenčín website.

The passages discovered in the city, which is home to a well-preserved castle, date from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Ongoing archaeological research in Trenčín (4 photos)

Archaeologists have said that there is a good chance they could also find the barbican, a late-Gothic fortress securing the gate of a city or castle. These structures can be seen today, for example, in Banská Bystrica and Spiš Castle.

The Trenčín fortification system began to be developed in the first third of the 15th century, when Trenčín received the highest royal privileges from Sigismund of Luxembourg.

The task of archaeologists will now be to determine from which period each passage originates and in what way it disrupted the fortification system during its construction.

Archaeologists also expect to uncover other significant finds in the near future.

"Geophysics indicated a huge archaeological anomaly near the gate, which could be a large wall or large corridors," Hulínek said.

If the barbican and other elements were found on Sládkovičová Street, experts say the discovery would be among the most important finds in Central Europe.

"However, we are still at the beginning. If what we expect is confirmed, then we can talk about it. So far, expectations are being fulfilled more than we expected," the archaeologist concluded.