West Slovak Museum in Trnava

WEST SLOVAK MUSEUM BUILDING

One of the largest and at the same time most beautiful museums in Slovakia is located in Trnava. The West Slovak Museum is located in the immediate vicinity of the southern walls, ie on the territory of the original historical center. It is housed in an unmissable building of the monastery complex from the 13th century. Originally it belonged to the Poor Clares, the monastic order of St. Klára. Tons lived in complete isolation, absolutely separated from the outside world. The architectural and dispositional solution of the building also corresponds to this. They were important in Trnava, until they were abolished in 1782 by a decree of Emperor Joseph II. Habsburg. The building underwent several alterations, after which it served for a while as a barracks and later as a hospital, until it began to be used for museum purposes in 1954.

Above the massive building of the museum rises the reconstructed tower of the church of St. Our Lady of the Assumption, who often decorated the views of old Trnava. The single-nave building has a sanctuary with the original rib vault. In the 17th century, the church was remodeled in the Baroque style. The back was divided into two floors. In the upper one, a magnificent oratory was created with rich stucco decoration of the walls and vaults, in the lower one was a dining room.

The museum exhibits its exhibits on two large floors, in well-arranged expositions. In the building of the West Slovak Museum there are 12 separate expositions supplemented by seasonal exhibitions. Let's get a little closer to the still exposure.

NATURE OF SMALL CARPATHIANS

The exhibition is focused on the living and inanimate nature of the Protected Landscape Area of the Little Carpathians. Most of the area is covered by forests, so the living nature is mainly represented by typical species of beech and oak forests. The diversity of the region is complemented by meadow and aquatic habitats.

The most valuable exhibits of fauna include lynx, wolf, ground squirrel, as well as protected species of birds, insects and others. The flora of this region is documented by rich plant material supplemented by photographs from scientific research.

Paleontological findings date from the Mesozoic (Lower Jurassic) to the Quaternary. Of the Mesolithic fossils, the fossils of ammonites (cephalopods) from the Chtelnica locality are of particular interest. Other treasures of the prehistoric sea in the West Slovak museum include fossils of conch, shellfish, sea urchins and fish, and so they are a perfect example of aquatic animals in the Tertiary. Finds from the Quaternary present the remains of world-famous large mammals such as mammoths and cave bears.

But he can also enchant his own with the geological department of the exhibition. An interesting collection are minerals from paleo-basalts from the localities of Lošonec and Sološnica. Rare samples include samples of secondary minerals of antimony from the locality of Pezinok.

FOLK UTILITY MUG

Even prehistoric man made utility objects from clay. In Slovakia, quality pottery is located at a shallow depth. Its extraction provided material for the production of ordinary kitchen utensils, storage containers, tiles, bricks, hives, etc. Visitors to the exhibition can compare the products of well-known pottery workshops from Slovakia. Each locality is characterized not only by a typical form, but also by decor.

FOLK TEXTILES OF THE TRNAV REGION

The center of the exhibition is the traditional clothing of the rural population of the Trnava region. It presents the ceremonial attire of the bride and groom, festive and work summer attire, as well as winter attire made of cloth and fur.

Trnava festive folk clothing was among the most representative and most expensive in Slovakia. The high quality of materials and the number of decoration techniques used in the festive clothing of the Trnava area were related to the economic self-sufficiency of the peasant population of the fertile lowland area. Its development was also influenced by the proximity of the city of Trnava as an important craft, trade and religious center of the region and the period fashion of the upper social classes.

Baroque inspiration can be found in the shaping of the female silhouette of festive folk clothing, especially in wide sleeves and skirts, lace collars and ruffles ending the sleeves, as well as in their decoration.

The men's holiday attire took over elements from military uniforms - short cloth jackets and narrow, close-fitting trousers decorated with ornately sewn cords. Holiday clothing used to be made of expensive materials such as brocade, atlas, cashmere or silk. The most characteristic decorative technique of traditional clothing in the Trnava area was embroidered embroidery with gold or silver thread over cardboard. The embroidery process reveals paper patterns for embossed and pre-drawn embroidery.

Stylized interior called The way of living with a made bed and decorative pillows so typical of farmers' homes in the Trnava region brings us closer to a great room.

SACRED MONUMENTS

Our ancestors accepted Christianity even before the arrival of St. Cyril and St. Method. Throughout its history, Slovakia has been multicultural and hetero-confessional. The presented collection Sacral Monuments includes works of various origins and various artistic and historical values. It is conceived from the birth of man to his departure from this world. The ambition of the exhibition is that knowledge of the history of Christianity should lead to humility, mutual tolerance, understanding, tolerance and forgiveness.

The creators of the exhibited artifacts came from different parts of Europe, they were members of different nations and cultures. They were united by the need and effort to express and depict scenes and events, especially from the book of books - the Bible. The advantage of this form of presentation is the direct contact of the visitor, which allows to know the artistic and spiritual value of the exhibited works.

CAMPANOLOGICAL EXPOSURE

In the nineties of the 20th century, the museum acquired a collection of bells from various locations in Slovakia. The exhibition in which they are exposed has two parts. In one there are bells from the Trnava region. From the 19th century until 1945, the bell-foundry of the Fischer brothers (a building preserved on Dohnány Street in Trnava) operated directly in Trnava. The work of the designer Jozef Pozdech from Hrnčiarovce - the inventor of the original bell stool - is also presented. The second part of the exhibition consists of bells from Slovakia from various churches and historical periods. The oldest exhibit was created in 1491. The ornamental decoration of bells from the Baroque period is remarkable.

KLARISKY IN TRNAVA

The exhibition The Poor Clares in Trnava documents the building development of the Trnava Poor Clares Monastery and the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the everyday life of the Sisters of the Order of St. Clare, the history of the Poor Clares in Trnava and their fate against the historical events of Trnava. The exposition is located in the former communication spaces of the monastery - specifically in the rooms of the inner parlatoria, which served for the communication of the members of the order with the visitors. Part of the exhibition is a stylized Altar of St. Anne according to the original side altar of the same name of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which is waiting to be restored. There are also monastery works on display - hand-made pictures with Polygon embroidery, which were made by nuns in the monastery.

ORATORIUM

Due to the strict clause, the Poor Clares could not visit the church, which has been part of the monastery complex since the beginning of the monastery's construction. The inner choir, which the nuns attended through services, was added during the renovation of the building in the 17th century. It was separated from the church by gilded metal bars. The original furnishings of the space have preserved the rich stucco and relief decoration signed by the painter Carlo Antonio Neurone and two rows of wooden benches. The oratory was restored and opened to the museum in the 1990s.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPOSURE

There are several interesting and important archeological sites in western Slovakia. The oldest evidence of the settlement of this area is a fragment of the frontal bone of the skull of a Neanderthal woman about 45,000 years ago found by the river Váh. Remains of prehistoric animals, agricultural tools and cult objects of the Neolithic man are complemented by material from the Bronze Age. Terracotta pottery, coins and a large military camp in Páca document the Roman period. There are also exhibits from the Great Moravian forts (eg Moravany nad Váhom, Molpír, Prašník, Majcichov).

THE BEAUTY OF SENT TIMES

In the exposition opened in 2007, the museum made part of the collections of the historical collection available. Interior units with period furniture and accessories from the beginning of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century are on display.

But before we move to the literally "Aristocratic Corner", we will briefly get acquainted with the history of Trnava. After welcoming the statues of two Turkish soldiers, we will have the opportunity to admire, for example, rare chained chests, artifacts of Trnava guilds, executioners, the Jewish community to the skeleton of a Hussite spy.

Rare pieces of furniture complemented by original works of art form the aristocratic interior. The objects come from the manor house of the Zeriov family in Voderad, whose members devoted themselves to collecting artistic and valuable objects on their travels in Europe and other parts of the world. Family galleries with portraits of famous family members decorated the walls of the chambers, corridors and stairs of castles, chateaux and manors. Following the example of the higher nobility, peasants, later rich burghers, could also be portrayed. Married portraits were especially popular. The presented stylized gallery consists of paintings from the collections of the West Slovak Museum. The interior of the burgher household is composed of small things that come from Trnava burgher families. The third interior is furnished with simple burgher furniture, which creates the illusion of a student's room in a sublet at the end of the 19th century. The room with Art Nouveau furniture and accessories is an area from the beginning of the 20th century inhabited by a woman engaged in an activity common in burgher households - handicrafts.

It is also worth mentioning, but it is definitely worth a collection of rare historical porcelain, rare huge clocks, artistically carved pipes or richly decorated cabinets and jewelry boxes.

ŠTEFAN CYRIL PARRÁK - HONOR TO THE KING OF COLLECTORS

Štefan Cyril Parrák (1887 - 1969) - Trnava confectioner and baker, an enthusiastic admirer of folk art and antiques, who created an extensive collection of folk and art historical monuments by constantly visiting villages throughout western Slovakia and buying items. In 1935, his collection was so extensive that he decided to exhibit it in his patisserie. Parrák's private museum has become one of Trnava's sights. Collection Š. C. Parrák later became the basis of the ethnological and historical museum collection.

On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the collector's birth, the museum opened to the public a representative selection of more than 200 objects: faience production of famous jugs, folk utility pots, wooden sacral sculptures, paintings on glass, folk furniture, pewter and copper vessels, clocks, pipes, ceremonial jewels articles, glass, porcelain and earthenware. The Parrák Museum is presented through a set of black and white photographs, original showcases and a short film cut.

PERSONALITIES OF TTSK SPORT

The exposition of the Sports Personality of the Trnava Self-Governing Region presents a selection of the most important athletes who come from the region or have worked in it for a long time. The exhibition is divided into thematic units, which form groups of personalities according to the type of sport. The space is also dedicated to handicapped athletes - paralympic players and important personalities who have worked or are working in the region as coaches, referees, teachers, trainers, organizers of sports life, sports officials, sports doctors and physiotherapists, sports journalists, editors or moderators. Part of the exhibition is a list of top sporting events - the Olympics, which presents the history of modern winter and summer Olympic Games.

TOUCH THE CLAY

Trnava and its surroundings have long been one of the most important brick areas in Slovakia. This was mainly related to the availability of suitable clay. Although the Trnava bricks are a thing of the past, they have significantly changed the topography of the city. To this day, people walk through V jame, Na hlinách or Hlboká streets, and many have no idea that without these pits, unique brick walls or typical silhouettes of churches would never have been created, which today are an integral part of the panorama of Trnava.

Bricks are currently of interest not only to builders but also to collectors. Among the first known Slovak brick collectors is Ing. arch. Ľubomír Mrňa, CSc., Who donated his collection to the West Slovak Museum in Trnava in the 1990s. His collection became the basis of the exhibition Touch the Clay, which was made available by the West Slovak Museum in the 780th anniversary of the granting of the privileges of the free royal city of Trnava.