(source: Courtesy of Ľubovnianske museum)
The Church of Saint Mikuláš, a dominant feature of the square in Stará Ľubovňa, is one of the few unexplored churches and conceals many secrets. These churches are being noticed little by little, since their crypts have been recently investigated.
“The first significant discovery was uncovered in the northern part of the presbytery in the last year where the medieval fresco was found in the church,” said a director of the Ľubovnianske museum Dalibor Mikulík, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Archaeological research started simultaneously while the restoration research was conducted inside. Entrances and windows appeared after removing the stone façade from the periphery of the church. The aim of the research is to explore the space in front of the uncovered entrance to crypt, its cleaning and creating of the walled-up ossuary
“An archaeological probe was placed in front of the uncovered entrance in the northern part of the church near the entrance to the sacristy. The probe research revealed a staircase that corresponded with the continuous stairs leading under the sacristy,” explains Mikulík, as cited by TASR.
Part of the stone staircase was dismantled in the past and stony grades were used to wall up the entrance. The stone staircase was filled with soil, only fragments of round stone paving remaining above the last stone entrance.
“We revealed the entire staircase consisting of nine stone grades after removing the walled-up entrance,” said the head of Ľubovnianske museum, as cited by TASR.
Researchers entered the first room situated under the sacristy and the second room through the half walled-up entrance. There are walled-up crypts from the end of the 18th and beginning of 19th centuries in the first room. Many coffins are found in the second room along with the stone staircase ascending back to the church. The archaeological research will continue.
