Laurinc Gate in Bratislava: the medieval gate that vanished
Laurinc Gate (Laurinská brána) was one of the four medieval gates of the inner town of Bratislava, standing at the end of today's Laurinská Street. Built in the second half of the 13th century and pulled down in 1778, it survives as a symbolic portcullis, a plaque in the pavement and a curve in the street, a small detour for anyone exploring the Old Town.
Bratislava lost almost all of its medieval gates, and Laurinc Gate went in 1778. Today a portcullis on ropes hangs over Laurinská Street, and a bend in the road is the last trace of its barbican.
The history of Laurinc Gate
Laurinc Gate was one of the four medieval gates in the walls of the inner town of Bratislava, which for most of its history was known as Pressburg or Pozsony. The others were Michael's Gate, the Fishers' Gate and the Vydrica Gate. It stood at the end of the Long Street, now Laurinská Street, on the spot in front of today's Hviezdoslav Theatre. The gate was built in the second half of the 13th century, probably together with the oldest parts of the city walls, and appears in written records for the first time in 1412.
Its name comes from the parish church of St Lawrence (Svätý Laurinc), which stood in the suburb directly in front of the gate and is first mentioned in 1311. The saint was regarded as the patron of travellers, and many towns placed churches dedicated to him outside their walls. A cemetery with a chapel of St James lay around the church. Fear of the Ottomans brought the church down: the German Wikipedia dates its demolition to 1528 and says its stone was used to strengthen the walls. The gate kept its name long after the church was gone.
Unlike Michael's Gate, the only medieval city gate still standing in Bratislava, Laurinc Gate had no tall tower. It was a massive square structure with a long passage on the ground floor, made up of an inner, a middle and an outer gate. Above the middle one ran a gallery with a shingle roof, topped with a gilded ball and a flag bearing a coat of arms, and the inner part held a store of gunpowder and stone cannonballs. The gate was protected by a water moat with a drawbridge. Because of the nearby Danube and the mouth of a stream flowing down from the Little Carpathians, this moat always held water. On the north side it was flanked by the Butchers' Bastion and on the south by the round Bakers' Bastion.
In the 15th century, fearing the Hussites, the town added a barbican, a fortified approach with a sharp bend that stopped a direct attack on the gate. A guardhouse in front of it housed the city's cannons. The gate was long closed to heavy traffic, with only a side door open, and from 1608 it was open to everyone. In 1631 a storm destroyed its turret and roof, and in 1732 a column with a statue of St Florian was set up in front of it. In 1778, when most of the walls were being removed because they limited the growth of the town, the gate was demolished by order of Empress Maria Theresa. No rebuilding has ever been planned.
Curiosities about Laurinc Gate
- Unlike the surviving Michael's Gate, Laurinc Gate had no tall tower: it was a massive square block with a long tunnel at ground level.
- Its moat was never dry. The Danube was close, and a stream from the Little Carpathians flowed out near the gate, so the water stayed in the ditch all year.
- The only trace of the 15th-century barbican is the sharp bend in Laurinská Street between the former gate and the square at the end of the street.
- The gate was named after a church that was demolished in the 16th century, yet the name survived on the gate and on the street.
- The inner part of the gate was used as a store for gunpowder and stone cannonballs, while the guardhouse in front held the city's cannons.
- In 1631 a violent storm damaged much of Bratislava and destroyed the little turret and the roof of the gate.
Tours near Laurinc Gate
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the site of Laurinc Gate
- Nothing of the gate itself remains. A symbolic portcullis hangs on ropes above Laurinská Street, and a memorial plaque in the pavement marks the place.
- Look for the curve in Laurinská Street, the last reminder of the barbican, and for the Hviezdoslav Theatre, which stands where the gate once did.
- The site is part of a walk through the Old Town. Other places on this site in the centre include the Church of St Elisabeth, the Clarissine Church, Esterházy Palace and Johann Pálffy Palace.
- Michael's Gate, the only medieval city gate still standing in Bratislava, shows what the lost gates looked like, although Laurinc Gate had no tall tower.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Laurinc Gate is
Photos of Laurinc Gate
Questions
What was Laurinc Gate in Bratislava?
Laurinc Gate was one of the four medieval gates in the walls of the inner town of Bratislava, built in the second half of the 13th century. It was demolished in 1778.
Where was Laurinc Gate located?
It stood at the end of today's Laurinská Street, on the spot in front of the Hviezdoslav Theatre in the Old Town of Bratislava.
Why is it called Laurinc Gate?
The name comes from the church of St Lawrence (Svätý Laurinc) that stood in the suburb directly in front of the gate. St Lawrence was regarded as the patron of travellers.
Why was Laurinc Gate demolished?
It was pulled down in 1778 together with most of the city walls, whose inner circuit was limiting the growth of the town, on the order of Empress Maria Theresa.
What can you see at Laurinc Gate today?
A symbolic portcullis hangs on ropes above Laurinská Street and a plaque in the pavement marks the site. The bend in the street recalls the old barbican.
Will Laurinc Gate be rebuilt?
No. According to Wikipedia there have never been plans to rebuild or reconstruct the demolished gate, in the past or at present.
Also nearby
Primate's Palace
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Roland Fountain
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Mirbach Palace
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Pálffy Palace (Ventúrska)
Bratislava Old Town · Baroque palace, mint and Mozart legend
350 m away