History
The church was erected at the beginning of the 14th century. In the fifteenth century, due to a fire, it required repair. At the beginning of the 16th century, a gothic chapel of St. Sophia was built on the north side of the church. In the first half of the eighteenth century, the flat wooden ceiling was replaced with a vault, which contributed to the problems associated with building statics. In 1838, the wooden matroneum was removed from the nave and replaced with a brick one. In 1869 the church was burnt again, which required reconstruction of the roof and tower. In 2012, comprehensive research was carried out to explain the architectural development of the church and the discovery of medieval wall paintings in the interior. As part of another restaurant, the church received a new elevation.
Architecture
St. Catherine’s church was built as a single-nave, early Gothic building with a square chancel on the eastern side, a western, four-sided tower and a sacristy on the north side. In the Middle Ages, the northern chapel was added. The entrance to it led from the south through two gothic ogival portals, one to the nave and one to the presbytery. Another one, but in the form of a clearance with a cut trefoil (saddle portal), led directly to the northern chapel in the north. The original windows had to be pointed, rather narrow, probably similar to the eastern window in the chancel. The window openings of the two highest storeys of the tower stood out: two-light and topped with trefoils. Inside, the presbytery was covered with a cross-rib vault fastened with a boss with floral decorations, while the nave had a wooden flat ceiling.
Current state
The church has maintained the original Gothic layout without major early modern interference. It is a pity that the southern windows of the nave and presbytery as well as the windows of the northern chapel have been transformed, and the original two entrance portals have been bricked up, as well as the portal of the northern chapel. The eastern window of the chancel and the tasteful windows of the tower were more fortunate. Inside, apart from the consecration crosses, medieval polychromes were discovered only in small spaces.
bibliography:
Súpis pamiatok na Slovensku, zväzok treti K-Ž, red. A.Güntherová, Bratislava 1969.
Website apsida.sk, Spišský Hrušov.