Basilica of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Basilica minor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a Late Gothic three-nave Catholic church located in the town of Kežmarok in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia. The original parish church was constructed on the site of a previous, probably Romanesque chapel. Development of the city connected with the rapid growth of the population required a new church; the rebuilding began sometime in the first half of the fourteenth century (about 1320). According to modern research this church was 19m wide and about 41m long; the tower on west side and the east end of the sacristy gives us an idea about the size of the church after its first reconstruction. This church was comparable with the largest churches in Upper Hungary. On 25 April 1433 Hussites attacked the city. The following fire and an earthquake in 1443 heavily damaged the church.

The construction of a new Late Gothic church began in 1444. The reconstruction of the church was mainly financed by local noble family of Zápoľský. Some of the outer walls of the original church were preserved during the rebuilding. Reconstruction enlarged the basilica to the south and the east. The reconstruction started with the presbytery and then continued with the nave. The presbytery was mainly finished thanks to contributions from Zapolsky family, as demonstrated by the coats of arms carved above the main portal. The entrance portal was also added to the presbytery in 1486 and the main - south portal of the church was placed in 1498. This year is dated as the completion of Late Gothic reconstruction.

Later, after another fire in 1521, the tower was secured with a stone gallery (in 1525) and after the construction of the new Renaissance bell tower (1589-1591), the tower was adapted to Renaissance style with a new Renaissance attic. Then, the northern hall of the church was built, and the architectonical development of the church was completed. In the Reformation period the basilica was enriched with a canopy above the pulpit, organ, epitaphs, mortuary and wooden choirs in the side naves (removed after the church was taken over by the Catholics around 1

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