History
The church, or rather the original rotunda, was built in the second half of the 13th century by the Benedictines who settled on Johannisberg above Kremnica. It could have been a pilgrimage or votive chapel at a water spring of cult importance. In the fifteenth century, the rotunda was rebuilt, when it was crowned with a vault, and probably the northern sacristy was also added than. The main reconstruction aimed at enlarging the church took place in the 16th century. Perhaps these works were completed in 1588, because such a date was marked on the entrance to the tower’s ground floor. During this period, the church was already used by Protestants, who had the building until 1673. The comprehensive restoration of the building began in 1989 and ended in 2007.
Architecture
The original building was an early-Romanesque rotunda with internal blind arcades, while the eastern one was a deeper recess serving as the presbytery (similar to the rotunda in Bína). In addition to the eastern recess, six arcades were created, topped with pointed arches marking the advent of the Gothic style. In the 15th century, the inside of the rotunda was covered with a stellar vault with ribs embedded in the perimeter walls without the use of corbels.
After the rebuilding, a three-aisle nave was added to the partially demolished rotunda on the west side, ended with a three-story tower from the west. In this way, the rotunda became the chancel of the Gothic church. The interior of the nave was topped with ribless cross vaults based on massive four-sided pillars.
bibliography:
Website apsida.sk, Kremnické Bane.