TRNAVA
County: Trnava
District: Trnava
Region: Trnava and environs
(Dolné Považie)
Coordinates: 48° 22' 37" N
17° 35' 35" E
Altitude: 146 m
Area: 71,535 km2
Population: 67 726
Density of Population: 957/km2
First Written Reference: y. 1211
Address: Municipal Office of Trnava,
Trhová 3, 917 71 Trnava
Website: www.trnava.sk
Mayor: Ing. Štefan Bošnák
Trnava is one of the most remarkable towns of Slovakia, it lies in the centre of a hilly country called Trnavská pahorkatina, at the altitude of 146 metres, in the distance of 45 kilometres from the capital city of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava.
The mercantile colony of Trnava was established at the junction of old trade routes used since prehistoric ages and at a small river called Trnávka. The first written reference to this settlement dates back to 1211. Actually, it is a document of the Archbishop John of Esztergom mentioning receipt donations of a local church of Esztergom´s canonry.
Trnava was the first town at the territory of today´s Slovakia which was granted privileges of a free royal town. They were granted in 1238 by the Hungarian King Belo IV. He subordinated the town to the crown by a privilege and defined such rights that enabled a rapid development of the town. The original agricultural centre began to change gradually into a centre of manufacture, trade and crafts.
In the 13th century the town built up a particularly large fortification at the area of almost 60 hectares. The fortification structure was made of brick towers put together with wooden bulwarks which were later replaced by a masonry wall.
The privileged position was further strengthenedd by other Hungarian kings. The importance of the town can be also proved by the fact that Trnava was a place where kings met.
The signifiance of Trnava increased mainly in the 16th century when the archbishop of Esztergom moved here along with its canonry due to an approaching Turkish danger. Bratislava became an administrative centre of the country and Trnava took up a role of a cultural and religious centre of the country.
The 17th century is considered in Slovakia to be one of the worst periods of the Slovak history. It is characterized by corporate revolts of the Hungarian aristocracy against the Vienna courtyard which also affected the life in Trnava. It is a paradox that Trnava became a centre of universities just in the century of wars and fires. The University of Trnava was founded in 1635 by Peter Pazmáň, first with faculties of philosophy and theology. The Faculty of Law was opened in 1667 and the Faculty of Medicine only in 1769. In the 17th century they constructed buildings which are national cultural monuments nowadays. Old buildings of a Dominican monastery were reconstructed for the needs of the university.
Until the 18th century Trnava was a university town known all around Europe. In 1777 when the university was moved to Budín under the direction of Maria Theresa, this loss was difficult not only for Trnava but also for the whole Slovakia.
In 1792 Anton Bernolák established in Trnava the headquarters of the Slovak Learnt Journeymen.
A theatre building was built by citizens of Trnava in 1831. in June 1846, the first sector of the horse railway was operationally launched in Hungary. It was the route from Bratislavy to Trnava. In 1870 the Society of St. Wojtek began its activity and it helped keep up the national awareness in the period of prohibition of institutional acitvities performed by the institution of Matica Slovenská.
The rich town history left outstanding traces behind – plenty of architectonic monuments. A walk through the historical centre which forms an urban monumental preserve, provides several opportunities to meet a remarkable architectonic body which was formed here for centuries. Nearly regular ground plan of the town centre is delimitated by the town fortification. Visitors can see a town tower, town hall, baroque complex of the Trnava University buildings and particularly famous churches of Trnava thanks to which Trnava is also called the Little Rome.
Since 1996 Trnava is a district town inhabited by almost 70.000 people. Life in the town is full of social, cultural and sports events. Trnava is a place where many events take place and some of them even go beyond the town borders.
