The small pre-Romanesque church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany

Church & monasteryBratislava & Western Slovakia

Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany: Slovakia's oldest church?

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch (Kostol svätej Margity Antiochijskej) stands alone in the fields near Kopčany in western Slovakia, close to the Czech border and the Morava river. This small pre-Romanesque church dates from the 9th or 10th century, which makes it one of the oldest standing buildings in the country and a place where archaeology, dendrochronology and a good deal of debate meet.

A tiny church in a field on the Czech border may be the only building from the time of Great Moravia still standing. Tree rings have since pushed its date later, and scholars are still arguing.

WhereIn the fields near Kopčany, Skalica district, western Slovakia, close to the Czech border

TypeSmall pre-Romanesque church, 9th or 10th century, with later Romanesque and Gothic changes

Best forHistory and archaeology fans, cyclists and walkers who like quiet, out-of-the-way places

Getting thereAbout 1.9 km from the eastern end of Kopčany by an asphalt road and cycle path; also about 3.8 km by cycle path from Holíč Castle

The history of the Church of St Margaret of Antioch

The church stands in the flat country by the Morava river, near the Czech–Slovak border and less than two kilometres from Mikulčice-Valy, the great Moravian stronghold that is thought to have been the centre of power of Great Moravia until about 879. It is a pre-Romanesque building, built in the 9th or 10th century. Aerial surveys suggest that an as yet undiscovered nobleman's court lies to the south of the church and that the church was once part of it. Small settlements existed around it until the 13th century. When the old Great Moravian stronghold declined, people gradually moved away, and the last inhabitants left around the 16th or 17th century. The church, however, kept serving until the 18th century, when a new church was built in the village of Kopčany itself. The adjoining cemetery was used for burials until the 17th or 18th century.

The church was altered several times. In the 13th century it was given Gothic features, and the windows on the south side were changed in the Romanesque period, while the two arched windows on the north side of the nave are original. It is a single-nave building whose rooms follow one another in a row: porch, nave and chancel. With the narthex it is 11.9 metres long and the nave is 5.21 metres wide. Excavations have shown that the original church had a rectangular narthex at its west end, containing a large stone-lined tomb for the founding figure of the church; when the narthex was pulled down, a Gothic arch was inserted to form the west entrance. The church also keeps its original side walls almost up to the cornice, a barrel vault in the chancel and signs cut into the stone of the façade.

For a long time the building was regarded as a Baroque chapel. The first architectural survey in 1964 placed it in the Gothic period, and further research began in 1994. In 1996 the architect and researcher Viktor Ferus put forward the idea of a Great Moravian origin. In 2004 three graves with jewellery typical of Great Moravia were found outside the church, together with mortar of a size and shape that points to the building phase. Since it was then the only standing sacred building from that age known in the former Czechoslovakia, the find attracted wide media attention.

A tree-ring analysis in 2013 dated a piece of wood from the building to 951, which would place the construction in the second half of the 10th century, between the fall of Great Moravia and the foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary. Radiocarbon analysis gave a similar date of 925 plus or minus 60 years. These results have not been accepted without reservations and are still being checked. Occasional services connected with a pilgrimage to the patron saint, St Margaret of Antioch, were held here until 1994, and in 1995 the church was declared a national cultural monument. Today research concentrates on reconstructing the historic landscape and its settlements, and restoration work has stripped the old render from the walls.

Curiosities about the Church of St Margaret of Antioch

For decades the building was thought to be a Baroque chapel; its pre-Romanesque, possibly Great Moravian origin was only proposed in 1996.
In 2004 archaeologists found three graves with Great Moravian jewellery outside the church, and the mortar in them became a key argument for the date of the building.
A tree-ring analysis in 2013 dated a piece of wood from the church to 951, but the result is still being checked and is not universally accepted.
The original church had a rectangular narthex with a large stone-lined tomb for the founding figure of the church.
Occasional services connected with the pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret were held here until 1994.
On 2 January 2009 the Slovak post office issued a stamp with the church as its main motif, and the site appears on Slovakia's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.

Tours near Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Kopčany

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

5-Course Small-Group Bratislava Food Tour with Local Guide

★ 5 (47 reviews) · 3.5 h

See details ›

Military Guns Shooting Experience with GunMates Bratislava

★ 5 (44 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Bratislava Off the Beaten Path Tour - recommended also by Rick Steves

★ 5 (36 reviews) · 2 h

See details ›

Private Day Trip to Banska Stiavnica Unesco Site

★ 5 (32 reviews) · 10 h

See details ›

Visiting the Church of St Margaret of Antioch

The outside of the church is openly accessible. Whether the interior can be visited is not stated in the sources, so check locally before you go.
An asphalt road and a cycle path lead to the church from the eastern end of Kopčany (1.9 km). An asphalt cycle path also runs from the direction of Holíč Castle (3.8 km), and a cycle route links the church with the Great Moravia Footbridge (2 km).
Two marked hiking trails pass the church: the Cyril and Methodius Way and the blue trail no. 2452 (River Morava, footbridge – Church of St Margaret).
The church stands about 1.6 to 2 km from the Great Moravian site of Mikulčice-Valy, which lies on the other side of the Morava river in the Czech Republic.
Other places on this site nearby include the Holíč sanctuary (about 4 km) and the Rotunda in Skalica (about 10 km).

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Kopčany is

Photos of Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Kopčany

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany, general view

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany, second view of the walls

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany, third view

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany, fourth view

The Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany, fifth view

Questions

Where is the Church of St Margaret of Antioch near Kopčany?

It stands in the fields near Kopčany in the Skalica district of western Slovakia, close to the Czech border and the Morava river. A road and a cycle path lead to it from the village.

How old is the Church of St Margaret of Antioch?

It is a pre-Romanesque building from the 9th or 10th century, which makes it one of the oldest standing buildings in Slovakia. A tree-ring date of 951 shifted the likely construction to the second half of the 10th century.

Is it really a Great Moravian church?

That is still debated. Graves with Great Moravian jewellery were found beside it in 2004, but later dating suggests the 10th century, and these results are still being checked.

Can you go inside the church?

The outside is openly accessible. The sources do not say whether the interior is open, so check locally before you go.

What is there to see nearby?

The Great Moravian site of Mikulčice-Valy lies about 1.6 to 2 km away across the Morava river, and Holíč Castle is about 3.8 km away by cycle path. The Rotunda in Skalica is also close.

Who is the church dedicated to?

It is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. A pilgrimage connected with the saint gave rise to occasional services at the church until 1994.