Church and Monuments

The Baroque Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin is considered Horné Dubové’s most important monument. Its present form dates to 1720, when the ruins of an earlier Gothic church were rebuilt. The year therefore marks not the origin of the first church at the site, but the rebuilding that gave rise to its present form. Gothic and Baroque represent two successive building phases; the contrast helps explain the development of the Church of St. Martin.

The bells add their own dates to the building’s history. The municipality commissioned the large bell in 1695; the small bell was acquired in 1795. Exactly a century lies between the two years. The commission came 25 years before the rebuilding in 1720, and the acquisition 75 years after it. Thus, the histories of the two bells fall on different sides of the rebuilding: one begins with a municipal commission, the other with a later acquisition.

Religious sculptures add to the local heritage landscape. The statue of the Madonna and Child is one of Horné Dubové’s monuments. The statue of the Sacred Heart was erected in the village on July 3, 1927. The Madonna statue is notable for its status as a monument, while the erection of the Sacred Heart statue can be dated precisely.

Notable Figures and Landscape

The Slovak writer Juraj Fándly taught and preached in Horné Dubové from 1780 to 1807—a period of more than two decades. The parish archive preserves sermons he delivered to residents at the Dubovské hody celebrations. His work is thus linked to a clearly defined period, a local occasion, and a specific audience. The sermons connect Fándly, the residents, and the Dubovské hody celebrations with the village in a different way from its buildings and statues.

Emil Krapka was born in Horné Dubové. He was a Jesuit, theologian, clandestine teacher, organist, and spiritual father. His roles encompassed religious and theological duties, as well as teaching and music. Unlike Fándly, whose local connection is evident through his activities, the period he worked there, and his festival sermons, Krapka is chiefly associated with his origins in Horné Dubové and his broad range of spiritual and cultural roles.

The village name also points to the history of the landscape. Horné Dubové takes its name from oak forests that once covered the area around the settlement extensively, before the land was cleared. While the church, statues, and biographies point to specific cultural traces, the name recalls the former woodland around the settlement.

Getting Your Bearings

The Jewish cemetery lies along a field path, 750 metres southwest of the southern edge of the village. Both the starting point and the direction are important for finding it: the distance is measured from the southern edge of the village. Check the field path conditions before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Horné Orešany, Smolenice, Šúrovce, Boleráz, Jaslovské Bohunice, Košolná, Suchá nad Parnou, Malženice.

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