Ganthem church is a well-preserved Romanesque church, finished in the middle of the 13th century. The choir with its apse is the oldest part, dating from the late 12th century. The nave is slightly later, from the beginning of the 13th century while the tower is the most recent addition. Apart from an enlargement of the windows made in the 19th century, and the addition of a sacristy in the 1930s, the church has remained unchanged since the 13th century.
The interior of the church is decorated with frescos from the 15th century. On the northern wall, a set of paintings depict the Passion of Christ. This set is unusual inasmuch as it has never been painted over, and has retained much of its original vibrancy. On the southern wall, another set of frescos depicts other religious motifs.
The church still contains a number of medieval items. The baptismal font is from the latter half of the 14th century and has been ascribed to the artist Hegvald. The triumphal cross is from circa 1200 and unusually well-preserved. The altarpiece is furthermore a copy of the original, 14th-century altarpiece now belonging to the Swedish History Museum.
References:Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.
History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.
Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.
Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.