PLACE DU MAITRE PAUL (NÁMESTIE MAJSTRA PAVLA)

The central square of Levoča has the gracieusement oblong form of the cities of Slovakia. Its particularity lies in the beauty and the number of the bourgeois houses () that surround it as well as the two beautiful churches with three naves and the city hall which adorn it in its centre. Attention must be paid to the Maison house at No. 7 (Thurzov Dom), at the restored façade in 1904 with neo-Renaissance sgraffites. At No. 44, the house Krupek (Krupekov Dom) has authentically Renaissance sgraffites dating from the th century. The house Hain (Hainov Dom) at No. 41 was the seat of Evangelical Lyceum. In 1844, a group of 13 pupils protesting against the laws in place and teaching in Hungarian decided to flee Bratislava to study in Levoča. This is where they sang for the first time the revolutionary song Nad Tatrou sa Blýska, which will become the Slovak national anthem. This house is home to the historic museum of Spiš. The most beautiful of the houses is probably the house Mariássy (Mariássyho dom) at No. 43 with its inner courtyard to the delicately sculpted arcades. It is now the Stela hotel where you can enter by requesting permission. At the location of house No. 20 was the atelier of master Pavol, a party in smoke. Today this house houses a museum dedicated to it.