Evanjelický kostol v Ochtinej
The Evangelical Church in Ochtina is originally a Romanesque-Gothic building, which has been declared a national cultural monument. It is a single-nave medieval building with a polygonal presbytery. The building bears elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles with valuable frescoes in the interior by the Master of the Ochtin presbytery.
The Evangelical Church of Ochtin is a Gothic single-nave building with a polygonally terminated sanctuary. The presbytery is vaulted with a cross-rib vault, the age of which was determined dendrochronologically (on the basis of the remains of the roof trusses) after 1377. On the north side, the church is enlarged by a side aisle, vaulted with a star vault, which is connected to the main aisle by two arcaded arches. There is a west-facing tower and a square sacristy on the north side of the presbytery. On the tower there are Romanesque associated windows, thanks to which the building was considered Romanesque for a long time, but nowadays it is assumed that they are secondary. In addition to the arches of the presbytery and the nave, the south portal and part of the windows belong to the Gothic phase. In the interior there is an original stone baptistery.
The figural fresco painting of the Ochtin church dates from the middle of the 14th century and covers the entire surface of the presbytery, the triumphal arch and is also preserved in a fragmentary manner in the attic space in the continuation of the wall of the triumphal arch on the nave side. The frescoes in the presbytery depict the Christological cycle arranged in three bands. The first, Marian part of the cycle depicts the scenes of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, the Visit of Mary to Elizabeth and the Nativity of Christ. At the end of the presbytery we find the Arrival and Adoration of the Three Kings, followed by the Presentation in the Temple, the Twelve-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple, and the Coronation of the Virgin Mary. On the north wall of the presbytery is the Paschal part of the cycle: the Arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The polygon of the presbytery depicts a group of Pharisees, Peter's defense, and Judas' kiss. Another scene is in the lining of the east window, Peter denying Christ. On the south wall in the central band are followed by scenes of Christ before Herod, Christ before Caiaphas and, near the triumphal arch, probably Pilate washing his hands, damaged by a secondarily placed window. The cycle continues on the north wall of the presbytery in the lower band with the scenes of the Scourging of Christ, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and culminates in the scene of Calvary with the three crosses and with a group of three Marys and St. John beneath the Crucified Jesus. On the final wall of the polygon of the presbytery is the composition of the Taking down of the Cross, under the east window Christ the Sufferer, followed by the Lamentation of Christ, under the south window the figures of the two holy bishops, the Laying in the Sepulchre and the Resurrection of Christ. The final depiction is a monumental scene of Christ with the Cross, again damaged by a secondary window. On the triumphal arch on the nave side is the monumental Last Judgement with the figure of Christ Pantocrator in a mandorla. On the east side of the chancel, in the lining of the round window, is an unusual depiction of the Holy Trinity in the form of a head with three faces. In 1976-1977, restoration research was carried out on the paintings in the church in Ochtiny. Professor Milan Togner and akad. mal. Jiří Josefík introduced the term Master of the Ochtinský presbytery for the author of these frescoes. He is also the author of the paintings of the presbytery of the church in Koceľovce, but these frescoes are evaluated as more mature, the author abandons linearity and distinctive contours, the figures are more vivid and the gestures more expressive.
The church is on the list of "Medieval wall paintings in Gemer and Malohont" of the European Heritage Label. The list includes a set of frescoes in a total of 12 medieval churches in the Gemer-Malohont region: in 4 churches of the Štítnik circuit: Štítnik, Ochtiná, Koceľovce, Plešivec, in 4 churches of the Jelšava circuit: Chyžné, Kameňany, Rákoš, Šivetice and in 4 churches of the Rimava circuit of the Gothic Route: Kraskovo, Kyjatice, Rimavská Baňa, Rimavské Brezovo.
http://gotickacesta.sk/nastenne-malby-ziskali-znacku-europskeho-dedicstva/
Visiting the church in the season (June 15 - September 14, 2024) is possible at the following times:
weekdays and Saturdays from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00
If you are interested in a tour of the Ochtinsky Evangelical Church, please contact the deacon Mr. Martin Dudáš at +421 905 874 096.
