Quiet town with a great silver-mining history - Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity 616; Drotárstvo, wire craft and art 01478
What and Why
Banská Štiavnica (pronounced /ˈbanskaː ˈʃcɪ̯aʋɲitsa/) is mediaeval town in central Slovakia (Slovak: Slovensko) with a rich mining history and heritage. The land was made very rich with mineral because it was created in the middle of a caldera through the collapse of an ancient volcano.
Banská Štiavnica has been closely linked to the exploitation of its abundant resources of silver ore from its rich site. According to evidence from excavations, mining was started by the Celts as early as the 3rd century BCE. The site was also settled by early Slavs since the 10th century CE and was called land of the miners (Latin: terra banensium).
In the High and Late Middle Ages, the town was the main producer of silver and gold in the Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság). During the Ottoman Wars, the Turks made concerted efforts to conquer the rich mining town and the surrounding areas. This threat led Banská Štiavnica to build powerful fortifications during the period, to both ward off the invasion and religious infiltration. The town was one of the most important centres of the Protestant Reformation in the country due to its prosperity. It was during this period when it reached its heydays and the town was considered an architectural showcase. It was also from this point that the town started its decline, leaving buildings well preserved until today.
The town was also a leading centre of innovation in the mining industry. During the 17th century CE, gunpowder was used in mining, making it the second in the world, after France. To drain water from the flooded mines, a sophisticated system of water reservoirs and channels, known as tajchy, was designed and built in the 18th century CE. Tajchy not only saved the mines from flooding, but also provided energy for industries. With its strong technical development, the first mining school was established in the mid-18th century CE and later in 1848 CE, it was renamed the Academy of Mining and Forestry (Banícka Akadémia), becoming the first technical university in the world.
Toponymy
Banská means mining in Slovak and Štiavnica means acid stream, deriving from the word ščevnica corresponding to the existing spring water stream.
See
Open-Air Mining Museum (Banské Múzeum v Prírode)
The Open-Air Mining Museum (Banské Múzeum v Prírode) is the highlight of this city, and if you do not visit one of these mines, why come here at all? The museum (mining outdoor museum) is an exhibition on the surface and underground. Exhibition on the surface presents various facilities and equipment from various regions of Slovakia.
Naturally one must go down into the Bartolomew shaft (Štôlňa Bartolomej). One will be dressed in a mining mantel, with a helmet and a lantern you will experience the conditions in which miners used to mine here long time ago. The most precious exhibit is underground drainage equipment called gápeľ, which was driven by horses and comes from the late 19th century CE.
The various tunnels inside the museum. Quite a labyrinth and experience! Definitely not for the claustrophobic!
Old Town Square (Námestie Svätej Trojice)
The Old Town Square or the Holy Trinity Square (Námestie Svätej Trojice) was built in the early 16th century CE and it forms the architectural heart of the town. The overall city was largely defined by the Church of Saint Catherine (Kostol Svätej Kataríny) and the stately Holy Trinity Column. It was built out of gratitude for the end of the plague which had troubled the town during the early 18th century CE, as above. The structure is embellished by figures of seven saints - protectors of the town and patron - saints of miners.
Kammerhof
Kammerhof, meaning Court of Exchequer Chamber is the biggest building complex in the historic town. It is a place of exhibit depicting the history of mining in the Štiavnica Mountains as well as the mining in Slovakia with a small mine for visits. As you can see from the German word, it also inferred the strong German influence and influx during the town's heydays.
Town Hall (Radnica)
One of the feature of the Town Hall (Radnica) is that one is the clocks on the tower, whose hands are swapped. The big hand shows hours and the small one minutes. Another wonder which belongs to town hall is the entrance, which is not on the front side as expected but on the back. The story goes that it was because members of the council did not want people to know when they ended their meetings and vanished to surrounding pubs.
Old Castle (Starý Zámok)
The Old Castle (Starý Zámok) sits on top of a small hill within a stone's throw from the Holy Trinity Square. Now another museum of local culture, this was not built as a castle per se. Built during the 13th century CE, the builders' priority was to consecrate the Romanesque, three-nave basilica so that it could start serving the people. There is a creepy Romanesque ossuary inside the compound. During the mid-16th century CE the church was rebuilt so that it could function as a fortress against the Ottoman raids.
Calvary (Kalvária)
The Calvary (Kalvária) complex of sacral buildings set in a beautiful scenery is a superb demonstration of human art intertwined with nature's charms. Built in 1744 CE as stated in the cornerstone, the Calvary consists of 23 objects depicting the last moments in the life of Christ. It actually reminds me of the other UNESCO WHS, which I have blogged, the Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Park (Polish: Sanktuarium w Kalwarii Zebrzydowskiej).
Calvary or more commonly Golgotha (Hebrew: גולגולת, Gulgōleṯ) was, according to the Gospels, a site immediately outside where Jesus (Hebrew: יהושע, Yehoshua) was crucified. The word came from its Latin form Calvariæ Locus, and the word becomes calvariæ through its Greek word κρανίον (kraníon), which actually means the skull or cranium, perhaps in reference to it as an execution site.
Buy and Do
Drotárstvo
Since this is a metal-mining town, one would expect various forms of metalworks in the area, and one should be fascinated by the wire-framed art and crafts in many shops.
The wire-art is called drotárstvo, and is now a main part of Slovak art. Originally these wire were made to frame around pots and pans for consolidation, however as it went along, these craftsmen began curling and twitching up all kinds of shapes, 2D and 3D in all forms. At first
these arts used to be more practical and they are more tools with special shapes, but as time and creativity drifts in and out, all sorts of art forms are available: from the functional, physical to abstract. Usually simple techniques like manual bending, binding and interlacing metal wires are used and almost everything is done without welding or soldering.
Getting There and Around
The entrance fee to the Open-Air Museum is EUR 15€ with a guide. Other than the Calvary which is a bit further afield, the town is actually very small and you can finish it within a good afternoon. We drove there but the city is served with a number of buses.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Over the centuries, the town of Banská Štiavnica was visited by many outstanding engineers and scientists who contributed to its fame. The old medieval mining centre grew into a town with Renaissance palaces, 16th-century churches, elegant squares and castles. The urban centre blends into the surrounding landscape, which contains vital relics of the mining and metallurgical activities of the past.
Drotárstvo, wire craft and art refers to the technique of manufacturing using wire. In the 18th century, wire craftsmen discovered the interesting properties of wire and developed a simple technique based on manual bending, binding and interlacing metal fibers without welding or soldering, a technique still used to this day. Initially, wire art and craft was a complementary task performed by labourers to repair ceramics and cookware and produce and sell simple wire tools. In the 19th century, the practice became an autonomous craft, and since the 20th century, wire craftspeople have used wire to produce tools for daily use and art objects. As in the past, they react flexibly to the demands of the local market and enrich the traditional collection with new goods or art objects. The current range of materials also includes new types of wire used in unusual combinations with other previously unknown materials. Currently, the bearers and practitioners work mainly at the artistic level, selling their art products at various fairs, festivals, etc. Some practitioners come from families with a multi-generational tradition of transmitting these related skills, and there are also voluntary craft associations and clubs. The current practice develops old traditions and techniques to create new, beautiful forms, demonstrating its continued viability and respect for the old wire craftsmen.
References
Comments