The ruins of the Benedictine monastery on Veľká Skalka dare from the beginning of the 13th century. The small church within the monastery complex is uniquely sited within a cavity in the rock. A short distance away, there is a small cave which was occupied by the hermits Saint Andrew svorad and Saint Benedict at the turn of the 10th and the 11th centuries. The rock face of Veľká Skalka is topped by the Baroque twin-towered church of which the first record dates from 1208. It was dedicated to Saint Benedict. The Jesuits extended the church to its current size and added the two towers in 1745. Skalka is known as the oldest place of pilgrimage in Slovakia. Believers used to make a pilgrimage to Skalka twicw a year. Nowadays, the tradition of pilgrimage is being restored and up to 15 thousand worshippers from Slovakia and the neighbouring countries take part each year.
Saint Svorad-Andrew and Beňadik
Saint Benedict of Nursia - patron saint of Europe
THE MAIN PILGRAMAGE TO SKALKA /July 17/