www . apartmanybasta . sk

From the history of the village of Špania Dolina.

The Miners Fraternity - www.herrengrund.sk

Pension Klopačka - www.klopacka.sk

The village of Špania Dolina, lying in the southern part of the Nízke Tatry mountain range at an altitude of 728 metres above sea level, has a rich and centuries old mining tradition. The village used to be renowned throughout the whole of Europe for the abundance of its mineral resources, especially copper. The first account of the region's mineral deposits dates back to the Roman times. Apart from the Mine Haliar, near the village of Staré Hory, the oldest mines in the area were located in the villages of Richtárová, Potkanová and Piesky. The beginnings of the region's mining industry go back to the beginning of the 13th century. The village was the main centre of copper mining and supplied the nearby copper processing factories. The factories were based in Banská Bystrica, which was a lively and prosperous community populated by miners as well as foundry workers. The village appears in manuscripts under several names; in Latin as Montana, Vallis or Dominorum, in German as Herren Grund, in Hungarian as Úrvögly. All the names translate into Slovak as Panská Dolina (in English the Lord's, or Master's Valley) and so does the nearby hill over the village, Panský Diel (the Lord's Fief). As early as in the first millennium BC the early inhabitants used primitive methods of mining and ore smelting.

Špania Dolina is locally known as Baňa (Slovak for mine). The present name is derived from the Latin word Spanatus, which refers to the old title given to a local government administrator - pán, iąpán, or ľupan. The current village name has nothing to do with Spaniards. The metallurgical industry was dependent on the supply of water. For this purpose a sophisticated wooden aqueduct was built, the remains of which can be still seen today. It measured 21.000 furlongs in length, (1 furlong = 186 cm). The supply line ran from Kečka, at the foot of Praąivá, past the rock formation of Jelenská skala into the village. The length of the aqueduct is, by the then technological standards, a remarkable piece of engineering. The mine tunnels and shafts in ©pania Dolina had various names; most frequently they were named after monarchs such as Francis's, or Charles's mine. Some of the local special natural features are the "cement" and "green" waters. The cement water in ©pania Dolina and Piesky is of greenish, malachite colour while that in the village of Rychtárova has a blue, azurite tinge. The cement water contains copper sulphate and the green one copper carbonate. At the beginning of the 18th century, after several centuries of intensive mining, the industry in the area began to decline. As local miners went in search of work to other mining areas the village declined as well. In 1808, there was an outbreak of cholera in the village which caused the death of 110 people. The villagers made their living by raising livestock, while women were skilful in lace making, which became famous throughout the whole region.

The present and former inhabitants have not forgotten their native village and have been meeting regularly to attend the local event known as Hostina (the Feast). Every year on the first Sunday after August 6th, people come to see their relatives and meet each other in the square for a friendly chat. During the Slovak National Uprising the village became the headquarters of a partisan unit, which managed to survive during the German occupation of Banská Bystrica.

Religious heritage sites.

The Latin inscription in stone over the entrance to the church gives an account of a chapel built in 1254. Later on, on the foundations of the chapel, a shrine with a tombstone was built, both of which survive to the present day. In 1593, the main nave was constructed together with the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre. The main altar, sculptured in wood and painted polychromatically in oil, is a baroque masterpiece from the years 1720 - 1730. The wooden altar of Saint Clement was made using a similar technique, and it dates back to the baroque period of the second half of the 18th century. The baroque altar of Saint Antoine comes from the first half of the 18th century. In 1723, a new church tower was built, fitted with the bells from the old belfry called Filagória. At the same time, for the rising numbers of church goers, two lateral choirs were added. The church was extensively renovated in 1824 and consecrated by the Bishop Jozef Belanský on August the 8th in the same year. Today, the church and its surroundings are special Heritage-listed sites. The village became part of the National Heritage in 1960. In 1853, the old roof was replaced by a new wooden-tile one, and the stairway leading up to the church entrance was also covered by a wooden roof. In 1867, after an earthquake, cracks appeared on the church walls. Support walls had to be erected, but no changes were made to the interior until 1934. In this year, the interior of the church was redecorated by the artist J. Hanula. A new floor was laid and the altar plated in gold by Viliam ©tefek from Banská ©tiavnica. During the Second World War, the church was bombarded and the interior wall painting suffered some damage as a result.

1 Furlong (siaha) = 186 cm
1 Pound (funt) = 330 grams