Trnava

Trnava: Church of St. John the Baptist

Trnava, German Tyrnau, Hungarian Nagyszombat, town, southwestern Slovakia, on the Trnava River and the main Bratislava-Žilina railway.

Founded in the 7th century, Trnava received civic privileges in 1238. Its position north of the limit of Ottoman conquest in the 16th century was important to both Hungarian and Slovak cultural institutions seeking refuge from Turkish rule. The town became the see (1541–1820) of the bishop of Esztergom and thus the heart of Slovak Roman Catholicism; because of its many religious buildings, it was called the Slovak Rome. After its university (founded in 1635) was transferred to Buda in 1745, the town’s importance as a cultural centre declined. Historic structures include the Gothic St. Nicholas Cathedral (1380), the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist (1637), the town tower (1574), and remains of medieval fortifications. Important ethnographic collections are in the Western Slovak regional museum. The nearby 13th-century Smolenice Castle (modernized) is used for international scientific conferences.

Since the 19th century, industries have developed, notably railway-car manufacture and industries related to local agriculture, such as food processing, sugar refining, and malt production. The district is known for traditional costumes and for fine pottery. Pop. (2006 est.) 68,038.