Zvolen (source: Courtesy of B. Chovan)
The core of the central Slovak town of Zvolen appeared before the mid-13th century and has kept its face until today. In this rare postcard from 1907, you can see that a big part of the town was still formed by one-storey houses 100 years ago.
In old Zvolen, there were a number of splendid buildings reflecting the root of the town’s name; zvolený means selected or excellent in Slovak. Many building are no longer standing, such as a clock tower behind the parish church of St Elizabeth. Built in 1467, a clock machine, or horologium, was brought in from Banská Štiavnica and installed on the top of the tower.
It is probable that Zvolen inhabitants were then able to organise their lives according to time for the first time ever. But the mediaeval technology broke frequently, and the whole device was replaced after a series of repairs. A new one was imported, together with the clock maker from nearby Banská Bystrica, who got 13 guldens for the installation.
When the former parish building was renovated between 1939 – 1940, several interesting murals were discovered. They dated back to around 1450 and include Biblical motifs. A second part consisted of more unusual themes, for example, a satirical scene of a hare hunt with the rabbits returning triumphantly carrying a hunter bound to a pole.
A painting was also found here which represented the gothic musical trio – a hare playing the violin, a bear playing the drums, and a second bear playing the harp. However, the most remarkable scene was that of a brawl of men playing dice, a rarity in European gothic painting.
This article was first published by The Slovak Spectator on June 9, 2015. It has been updated to be relevant today.
