St. Emmeram's Cathedral () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

cathedral located in

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra (river), Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. The entire cathedral is housed in the

Nitra Castle Nitra Castle (, ) is a castle located in the Old Town of Nitra, Slovakia. It dominates the city and is a national cultural monument. It is the seat of the Diocese of Nitra. History The first fortified center on Castle Hill dates back to the B ...

precinct, much like

Prague Castle Prague Castle (; ) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for List of rulers ...

. Saint

Emmeram of Regensburg Saint Emmeram of Regensburg (also ''Emeram(m)us'', ''Emmeran'', ''Emmerano'', ''Emeran'', ''Heimrammi'', ''Haimeran'', or ''Heimeran'') was a Christian bishop and a martyr born in Poitiers, Aquitaine. Having heard of idolatry in Bavaria, Emmera ...

, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, was an itinerant seventh-century bishop who did missionary work from the court of

Theodo I Theodo (about 625 – 11 December c. 716), also known as Theodo V and Theodo II, was the Duke of Bavaria from 670 or, more probably, 680 to his death. It is with Theodo that the well-sourced history of Bavaria begins. He strengthened his duchy ...

Duke of Bavaria The following is a list of monarchs during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasties. Since 1918, Bavaria has been under a republican form of government, and from 19 ...

. It was originally built in the

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

and is composed of many parts. The upper church dates from 1333 to 1355. The rotunda dates back to the 11th–12th century and houses a silver reliquary made in 1674. Another reliquary in the cathedral houses some relics of Saint Cyril. The lower church was built between 1621 and 1642. Later, the entire cathedral complex was remodelled in the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style.

Jozef Tiso Jozef Gašpar Tiso (, ; 13 October 1887 – 18 April 1947) was a Slovaks, Slovak politician and Catholic priest who served as president of the Slovak Republic (1939–1945), First Slovak Republic, a client state of Nazi Germany during World War ...

, a priest who collaborated with

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

and led the occupied, partially recognised

Slovak State Slovak may refer to: * Something from, related to, or belonging to Slovakia (''Slovenská republika'') * Slovaks, a Western Slavic ethnic group * Slovak language, an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages * Slovak, Arkan ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, was reburied in the crypt of Saint Emmeram's Cathedral in 2008 decades after his execution."Jozefa Tisa pochovali v hrobke na Nitrianskom hrade". Nový Čas (in Slovak). Retrieved 20 February 2017.

Description

Pulpit The pulpit is part of the solid Baroque interior decoration that was commissioned by Bishop László Ádám Erdődy in the first decades of the 18th century. It was built by the left pillar of the triumphal arch, with a stone stairway leading up from the chancel. Its red, green and white marbled surface and gilt stucco decoration matches the walls and the altars. The iconography is fairly simple, with three white cherubs on the abat-voix and the Eye of Providence between clouds.

References

Roman Catholic cathedrals in Slovakia Buildings and structures in Nitra Gothic architecture in Slovakia Tourist attractions in Nitra Region Churches in Nitra 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Slovakia Roman Catholic churches completed in 1642 1642 establishments in Europe {{Slovakia-RC-cathedral-stub