Skalica (german: Skalitz, hu, Szakolca,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Sakolcium'') is the largest town in

Skalica District Skalica District (''okres Skalica'') is a district in the Trnava Region of western Slovakia. It lies in the northern part of Záhorská nížina, a lowland between Bratislava and Czech Republic. The district was established in 1923 and its current ...

in western

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

in the

Záhorie Záhorie ( hu, Erdőhát) is a region in western Slovakia between by the Little Carpathians to the east and the Morava River to the west. Although not an administrative region, it is one of the 21 official tourism regions in Slovakia. Záhorie ...

region. Located near the

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

border, Skalica has a population of around 15,000.

Etymology

The name is derived from Slovak word ''skala'' (a rock) referring to the cliffs the inhabitants built their settlement over. The first written record of Skalica was made in 1217 as ''Szacholca''.

History

The site has been inhabited since 4000 BC and was part of the

Great Moravian Empire Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

. From the second half of the 10th century until 1918, it was part of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. The settlement developed around a triangular

plaza A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

, which was rare during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Its

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

were conferred in 1372 by King

Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 ...

. In 1428 Skalica became a

bastion A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...

for the

Hussites The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Huss ...

; during the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...

, the majority of its then predominantly German-speaking populace fled or was exiled. Many Habaners (adherents of a sect similar to

Anabaptism Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

) settled in Skalica in the 16th century. On 6 November 1918 Skalica became the seat of the Temporary Government of Slovakia, for ten days de facto capital of Slovakia. The Temporary Government led by

Vavro Šrobár Vavrinec Ján Šrobár, known as Vavro Šrobár (9 August 1867 – 6 December 1950) was a Slovak doctor and politician. He was a major figure in Slovak politics in the interwar period. Šrobár played an important role in the creation of Czec ...

declared here a sovereignty of the Czechoslovak state, published a newspaper ''Sloboda'' (Liberty) and unsuccessfully tried to negotiate the removal of Hungarian troops from

Upper Hungary Upper Hungary is the usual English translation of ''Felvidék'' (literally: "Upland"), the Hungarian term for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia. The region has also been ...

''(today Slovakia)''. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the town tried to take advantage of its position as a district town, and many new works, schools and apartments blocks were built, while successfully preserving its historical city centre. In 1960, Skalica became part of

Senica Senica (; german: Senitz; hu, Szenice) is a town in Trnava Region, western Slovakia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the Záhorie lowland, close to the Little Carpathians. Etymology The name is derived from the word ''seno'' (" hay" ...

district. This lasted until 1996, when Skalica became a separate district again.

Didaktik The Didaktik was a series of 8-bit home computers based on the clones of Intel 8080 and Zilog Z80 processors produced in former Czechoslovakia. Didaktik Alfa Didaktik Alfa was produced in 1986, as a "more professional" clone of PMD 85. It fe ...

computers were produced in Skalica during the 1980s. The 2006

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Table Hockey A table hockey game, also called rod hockey game, stick hockey, bubble hockey, and board hockey, is a game for two players, derived from ice hockey. The game consists of a representation of a hockey rink; the players score goals by hitting a smal ...

Championships were held in the town. A popular pastry called

trdelník Trdelník (; or rarely trdlo or trozkol) is a kind of spit cake. It is made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix. Origin Trdelník has several origins. In the mid-19th century it ...

is made in Skalica. Now sold all over Slovakia and Czechia, this unusual "stove-pipe" shaped pastry has its origins in

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

. Today, it is economically the strongest town in the

region, bypassing its rival town

for this position, and is becoming a tourist destination thanks to its preserved town centre and historical monuments.

Sights

Near the remnants of one of Skalica's

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

s is one of Slovakia's oldest works of construction, the Romanesque Rotunda of

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

. Although its exact date of origin is unknown, it was constructed by the 12th century at the latest. A

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

dome was attached to it in the 17th century. The city has several churches, including a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

church and

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

, the 15th century Parish Church of St. Michael, and the 15th century

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

church and monastery. Other sights are Skalica's Late

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

and the Skalica Culture House built in the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

with elements of Czech and Slovak folklore.

Demographics

According to the 2001

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, the town had 15,013 inhabitants. 94.84% of inhabitants were

Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...

, 3.61%

Czechs The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, c ...

and 0.61%

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

. The religious make-up was 70.15%

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, 19.92% people with no religious affiliation and 6.67%

Lutherans Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

Sports

HK 36 Skalica Hockey Club Skalica is a professional ice hockey team based in Skalica, Slovakia. It has been a member of the Slovak Extraliga since 1997–98 Slovak Extraliga, 1997–98 season, when the squad was promoted from the Slovak 1.Liga. Team is currentl ...

, ice hockey club from the town and

MFK Skalica MFK Skalica is a Slovak football team, based in the town of Skalica. The club was founded in 1920. The club plays in the Fortuna Liga, first football league in the Slovakia, and hosts home games at the Mestský štadión Skalica. History * 19 ...

, football club in the

Slovak Super Liga The Slovak Super Liga is the top level football league in Slovakia, currently known as the Fortuna Liga due to a sponsorship arrangement. It was formed in 1993 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The record for most titles is eleven, he ...

. * ŠK Bandy hokej Skalica is one of three

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

clubs in Slovakia. In 2019 it won the

rink bandy Rink bandy is a variant of the larger sport of bandy. Unlike bandy which is played on a large bandy field, rink bandy is played on significantly smaller ice hockey sized ice rinks. While a bandy field is about the same size as a football pitc ...

league.

Notable people

Béla II of Hungary Béla the Blind ( hu, Vak Béla; hr, Bela Slijepi; sk, Belo Slepý; 1109 – 13 February 1141) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1131 to 1141. He was blinded along with his rebellious father Álmos on the order of Álmos's brother, ...

, king *

János Csernoch János Csernoch (''Slovak'': Ján Černoch) S.T.D. (18 June 1852 – 25 July 1927) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary. János Csernoch was born in Szakolcza, Kingdom of Hungary (now ...

, primate of Hungary *

Ján Hollý __NOTOC__ Ján Hollý (contemporary orthography: Gán Hollí; 24 March 1785, Bur-Szent-Miklos – 14 April 1849, Jókő) was a Slovak poet and translator. He was the first greater Slovak poet to write exclusively in the newly standardized lite ...

, poet, studied in Skalica * Gyula Juhász, poet * Milan Mišík, geologist, university professor *

Žigmund Pálffy Žigmund "Ziggy" Pálffy (; born May 5, 1972) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. Along with his English nickname, he was nicknamed "Žigo" in Slovak. One of the most gifted wingers, Pálffy played in the NHL for 12-years with ...

, ice hockey player *

Marián Varga Marián Varga (29 January 1947 – 9 August 2017) was a Slovak musician, composer and organist. Biography He played the piano from the age of six. He studied piano and composition at the conservatory in Bratislava. He left the conservatory after ...

, musician * Miroslav Zálešák, ice hockey player

Twin towns — sister cities

Skalica is twinned with: *

Schwechat Schwechat () is a town southeast of Vienna known for the Vienna International Airport and Schwechater beer. The city is home to the refineries of the Austrian national oil company OMV. Geography Schwechat is named after the river Schwechat, wh ...

, Austria * Freyburg, Germany *

Gladbeck Gladbeck () is a town in the district of Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Gladbeck is quite a young town, first recognised 21 July 1919 when it was given town rights. The town established itself around five farming villages, Br ...

, Germany * Strážnice, Czech Republic *

Uherské Hradiště Uherské Hradiště (; german: Ungarisch Hradisch, hu, Magyarhradis) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. The agglomeration with the two neighbouring towns of Staré Město and Kunovice has over ...

, Czech Republic *

Slaný Slaný (; german: Schlan) is a town in Kladno District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administ ...

, Czech Republic *

Arcueil Arcueil () is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Name The name Arcueil was recorded for the first time in 1119 as ''Arcoloï'', and later in the 12th ...

, France

Gallery

File:Skalica dom kultury 02.jpg, Culture house File:Skalica main square 01.jpg, Main square File:Skalica city walls 02.jpg, City walls File:Skalica calvary 01.jpg, Calvary File:Skalica jesuite church.jpg, Jesuit church File:Skalica lutheran church 02.jpg, Lutheran church File:Skalica pauline monastery 01.jpg, Pauline monastery File:Skalica trinity church 02.jpg, Trinity church File:Skalica franciscan monastery 02.jpg, Franciscan monastery File:Skalic rotunda 01.jpg, Romanesque rotunda File:Rotunda in skalica -1.JPG, Rotunda at night File:Wineyeard in skalica -2.JPG, Garden in Skalica