Monasterio benedictino Hronsky Beňadik

The Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill above the village of Hronský Beňadik is one of the oldest and most significant architectural monuments in Slovakia. It is also the best example of Gothic architecture in this country. You can admire a unique combination of sacred buildings, fortifications and fortifications, as well as a symbiosis of several styles of buildings - mainly Gothic, but also Renaissance and Baroque.

According to historical documents, the monastery was founded by King Geysa II in 1075. The ruler also gave the abbey extensive goods. As a result, it was for a long time one of the finest and richest religious institutions in the medieval kingdom of Hungary.

The oldest part of the complex was the 11th-century Romanesque basilica. On its foundations later, already in the fourteenth century, the Gothic Basilica of St. Giles. Later, due to Turkish attacks, the monastery was rebuilt into a fortress - thick defensive walls and artillery towers were erected at that time.