Levoča
Town
Levoča old town hall and church
Country	Slovakia
Region	Prešov
District	Levoča
Elevation	570 m (1,870 ft)
Coordinates	49°01′30″N 20°35′30″E / 49.025, 20.59167
Area	64. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million The Prešov Region (in Slovak Prešovský Kraj) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. Levoča District ( okres Levoča) is a district inthe Prešov The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 042 km² (25 sq mi)
Population	14,731 (2006-12-31)
Density	230 /km² (596 /sq mi)
First mentioned	1249
Mayor	Miroslav Vilkovský
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	054 01
Phone prefix	421-53
Car plate	LE
Location in Slovakia
Location in the Prešov Region
Wikimedia Commons: Levoča
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: http://www.levoca.sk

Levoča (pronunciation (help·info); Hungarian: Lőcse, German: Leutschau, Polish: Lewocza) is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Since 1997, the Slovak car registration plate number (EČV evidenčné číslo vozidla generally takes the form XX-NNNYY, where XX is a two letter code corresponding Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Spiš (- Slovak; Latin: Scepusium, Zips Szepesség Spisz is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million The town has a historic center with a well-preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings. Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe in which there was a An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place Master Paul of Levoča (Lőcsei Pál mester Majster Pavol z Levočewas a medieval Carver and sculptor of the15th and 16th century active

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Sights 4 Demographics 5 Town and nearby settlements 6 Partner towns 7 See also 8 References 9 External links 10 Images

History

The region was inhabited as early as the Stone Age. The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking After the Mongol invasions of 1241/1242, the area was settled by German colonists. Carpathian Germans (Karpatendeutsche Felvidéki németek Slovak: Karpatskí Nemci) sometimes simply called Slovak Germans (German Slowakeideutsche The oldest written reference to the city dates back to 1249. In 1317, Levoča (at that time generally known by the German name of Leutschau) received the status of a royal town. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. In the 15th century the town, located on an intersection of trade routes, became a rich centre of commerce. The town kept this status until the end of 16th century, in spite of two damaging fires in 1550 and 1599. In this period of prosperity several churches were built and the town had a school, library, pharmacy and physicians. There was a printing press as early as 1624. A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium (such as paper or cloth thereby transferring an image Levoča was a centre of the Protestant Reformation in Slovakia. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The town started to decline during the anti-Habsburg uprisings in the 17th century. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar

In a lurid sequence of events in 1700, the mayor of the town was accidentally wounded by a local nobleman during a hunt, generating a series of revenge attacks, finally resulting in the murder of the mayor, Karol Kramler. The mayor's arm was then cut off, embalmed, and preserved in the town hall as a call to further revenge. This became the subject of a novel about the town, The Black City, by the writer Kálmán Mikszáth. A fekete város ( The Black City, or The Black Town) is a Hungarian novel of Kálmán Mikszáth set in the town of Löcse today Kálmán Mikszáth de Kiscsoltó ( January 16, 1847 &mdash May 28, 1910) was a major Hungarian novelist journalist and politician ^[1]

The economic importance of the town was further diminished in 1871 when a new important railway line was built, bypassing Levoča and leading through the nearby town of Igló, (today known by its traditional Slovak name, Spišská Nová Ves) and later only branch line from the aforementioned town was built. Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Spišská Nová Ves ( (Zipser Neu(endorf Igló Nowa Wieś Spiska Romany: Noveysis) is a Town in the Košice Region of Slovakia

After the Treaty of Trianon the city became part of the newly formed Czechoslovakia and its traditional Slovak name of Levoča was formally adopted. The Treaty of Trianon is the peace treaty concluded at the end of World War I by the Allies of World War I, on one side and Hungary, seen as a successor Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

During World War II, under the auspices of the First Slovak Republic, 981 local Jews were deported from the town to concentration camps. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Slovak Republic ( Slovak: Slovenská republika) was an independent national Slovak state which existed from 14 March 1939 PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Extermination camps were two types of facilities that Nazi Germany built during World War II for the systematic killing of millions of people in what has become

On July 3, 1995 Levoča was visited by Pope John Paul II. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Pope He celebrated a mass for 650,000 celebrants at the traditional pilgrim site of Mariánska hora just above the town. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Mariánska hora, (781 m above sea level a hill above Levoča, Slovakia, with spectacular views over the town and countryside is the location of the Basilica of

Geography

Levoča lies at an altitude of 570 metres (1,870 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 64. The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the 042 square kilometres (24. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 7 sq mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ^[2] It is located in the northern part of the Hornád Basin at the foothills of the Levoča Hills, at the stream Levočský potok, a tributary of Hornád. Poprad is 25 kilometres (16 mi) away to the west, Prešov 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the east, Košice 90 kilometres (56 mi) to the south-east and Bratislava 370 kilometres (230 mi) to the south-west. Poprad is also the name of a river in Slovakia and Poland (see Poprad River) Poprad ( Poprád Deutschendorf is a Prešov ( known also by alternative names) is a City in eastern Slovakia. Košice (; Hungarian: Kassa; (also known by other alternative names) is a city in eastern Slovakia. ARTICLE TEXT BEGINS AFTER THESE COMMENTS - PLEASE READ 1 Please do not edit the lead without reading

Sights

The old town is picturesquely sited and still surrounded by most of its ancient walls.

The main entrance to the old town is via the monumental Košice Gate (15th century) behind which is located the ornate baroque Church of the Holy Spirit and the New Minorite Monastery (c. Košice (; Hungarian: Kassa; (also known by other alternative names) is a city in eastern Slovakia. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic 1750).

The town square boasts three major monuments; the quaint Old Town Hall (15th-17th century) which now contains a museum, the Lutheran church (1837) and the 14th century Church of St. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther James. This houses a magnificent Gothic carved and painted wooden altar, the largest in Europe, (18. This article is about Gothic art See also Gothic architecture Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that lasted about 200 An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place 62 m. in height), created by Master Paul around 1520. Master Paul of Levoča (Lőcsei Pál mester Majster Pavol z Levočewas a medieval Carver and sculptor of the15th and 16th century active The square is generally very well preserved (despite one or two modern incursions) and contains a number of striking buildings which were the town-houses of the local nobility in the late middle ages. Also notable in the square is the wrought-iron 'Cage of Shame', dating back to the 17th century, used for public punishment of miscreants. A plaque on one of the houses records the printing and publication in the town of the most famous work of Comenius, the Orbis Pictus. John Amos Comenius (Jan Amos Komenský Ján Amos Komenský Johann Amos Comenius Jan Amos Komeński Comenius Ámos János latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius Orbis Pictus, or Orbis Sensualium Pictus (The Visible World in Pictures is a Textbook for children written by Czech educator Other buildings on the square house a historical museum and a museum dedicated to the work of Master Paul.

Behind the square in Kláštorská Street are the 14th century church and remains of the old monastery of the Minorites, now incorporated into a Church grammar school. Nearby is the town's Polish Gate, a Gothic construction of the 15th century.

From the 16th century to the end of 1922, Levoca was the seat of the Spis Province. Between 1806 - 1826, an architect from the city of Eger, Anton Povolny, built a grandiose administration building, the Large Provincial House, as the seat of the town's administration. He adjusted its Classicistic style to Levoca's Renaissance character by emphasizing the horizontal lines. The House is considered the most beautiful Provincial House all over former Hungary. Today, it is reconstructed and it is a seat of the administration.

Demographics

Levoča has a population of 14,677 (as of December 31, 2005). According to the 2001 census, out of 14,366 inhabitants 87. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population 07% were Slovaks, 11. } The Slovaks or Slovakians are a western Slavic People that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is 20% Roma, 0. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins 33% Czechs and 0. Czechs (Češi ˈt͡ʃɛʃɪ archaic Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic 31% Rusyns. Rusyns (also referred to as Русины Ruthenians Ruthenes Rusins Carpatho-Rusyns and Rusnaks) are a Slavic Ethnic group that speaks ^[2] The religious make-up was 79. 54% Roman Catholics, 9. 01% people with no religious affiliation, 3. 87% Greek Catholics and 1. This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See 61% Lutherans. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther ^[2]

Town and nearby settlements

• Levoča (main town)
• Levočská Dolina (=English: Levoča Valley). About 4 km out of town, on way to Závada.
• Levočské Lúky (=English: Levoča Fields). Settlement on road to Spišska Nová Ves.
• Závada. Village in the hills above Levočská Dolina.

Partner towns

• Stary Sącz, Poland
• Łańcut, Poland
• Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland
• Keszthely, Hungary
• Litomyšl, Czech Republic

See also

• Szepes county

References

External links

• Official website of Levoča
• St. James' Church
• Article about Levoča at Spectacular Slovakia
• Levoča International Music Festival ('Indian Summer in Levoča')
• The Large Provincial House (student work)

Images

Levoča from Mariánska hora	Levoča - Town hall from above	Levoča main square	The Large Provincial House
Levoča main square	Sculptures from Master Paul's altar in St. Mariánska hora, (781 m above sea level a hill above Levoča, Slovakia, with spectacular views over the town and countryside is the location of the Basilica of James's Church	The Košice Gate	Doorway of the New Minorite Cloisters
Tower of the Church of the Holy Spirit

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