Marianka

History

In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1367. First settlers however inhabited area of present-day Marianka already in primeval times. Settlement dating to late Bronze Age located above the slate quarry was discovered during research between 1986 - 1990. Fragments of iron utensils were found along with unusual convenience, a painted floor. The cornerstone of the church was laid by Louis I. the Great in 1377, in response to spreading word about rumoured miracles. The church was finished in 1380 and its administration was given to Order of St. Paul. Pauline Fathers administered the parish for 400 years. During the time Marianka was several times raided by Ottoman forces. The statue of Virgin Mary had to be hidden in Pajštún fortress. The number of pilgrims rose with its peak in 1730 when 50,000 visitors attended the church service. To meet the growing number of visitors, Chapel of St. Anne was built in 1691. Among prominent visitors of Marianka were Sigmund, Leopold I. and Joseph I. Emperor Charles III. came to visit Marianka right after his coronation as Hungarian king in 1712 from Bratislava. Maria Theresa visited Marianka twice with her son Joseph II. Marianka was also a favorite marriage place for local nobility. There was a custom that during this occasion they were giving to the Virgin Mary their wedding rings and also donating robes for the statue made out of their bridal clothes. Turning point in village's history was abolishment of contemplative orders by Joseph II in 1786, because of which the Pauline order had to leave Marianka. From this point onwards Marianka was managed by the local diocese. A new development of the pilgrimage place began in 1927 when Congregatio fratrum consolatorum de Gethsemani managed the site until 1950, when…