Wooden churches

The wooden Greek Catholic church of St. Michael, 18. stor.

    Wooden Greek Catholic church in Matysová was built probably in the second half of the 18th century. Its patron was St. Michael the Archangel. It was renovated in 1938. Following the erection of a new brick church, dedicated to Ss. Peter and Paul, the wooden church was in 1973 transferred to the open air museum in Stará Ľubovňa.
    Church building has two parts, three spaces with three towers and crosses. It has rustic structure, the tower having columned one. The entrance leads through porch in the western part to narthex and thus into nave. Main tower is covered with shingles, same as narthex and nave. On the main tower are onion dome, lantern and shelter. It is finished with decorated two-barred cross. Turrets over nave and sanctuary are similar to each other, but the cross over nave has two bars, the one over sanctuary has one bar. Originally there were in the main tower three bells, but they were taken to the brick church in Matysová even before the church was transferred to the open air museum.
    Iconostasis (National cultural monument – NKP) is dated to the 18th century, and is in fairly bad condition. It has architecture of four rows on four levels. First, main row consists of icons of: St. Nicholas, Theotokos (Hodigitria), Christ the Teacher and icon of St. Michael the Archangel. Deaconal doors have no leaves. Royal doors are classically two leaved and are adorned with six medallions (four Evangelists and medallions of the Annunciation). Second row is the row of feasts, with Mandylion in the middle. Third, apostolic row consists of six icons with pairs of figures. In the middle is the icon of Christ the High Priest with Theotokos and St. John the Baptist. Fourth row consists of six medallions of individual prophets.  Iconostasis is finished with table icon of the Crucifixion.
    From the furnishing is worth to mention the altar with icons of the Deposition from the cross and former altar with icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord from the 18th century.

Contact:
The Lubovna Museum Stará Ľubovňa
tel.: +421 52 4322422
e-mail: muzeum@slnet.sk