Ochtiná, Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession

The Ochtiná church (now Evangelical), originally dedicated to St Nicholas, is one of the oldest and most interesting landmarks of the Gemer countryside. The Gothic church was built on the site of a ruined Romanesque building as a single-nave church with a presbytery and a northern sacristy. The north side aisle with a star vault was added at the beginning of the 16th century, the ceiling of the nave with Prussian arches dates from the 18th century.

Gothic wall paintings from the middle of the 14th century cover the entire inner part of the presbytery and are preserved in fragments in the church's attic space. The author of the Ochtiná paintings - the Master of the Ochtiná presbytery – is the same as the author of the Koceľovce presbytery.

Draw your attention to these wall paintings

The Holy Trinity 

An ancient depiction of the Holy Trinity in the arch of the rosette window at the back of the church presbytery. It takes the form of a single head with three faces and four eyes. This depiction was used until the Council of Trent (1545-1563). As an ancient medieval symbol, it became the logo of the church and also of the Gothic Route.

Last Supper

The Last Supper fresco in the presbytery is one of the church's most impressive wall paintings, standing out for its colour and a certain intimacy of story. It depicts Jesus Christ holding bread in his left hand and blessing with his right. The individual apostles eat, drink, and cut the bread. Strangely, only eleven apostles are depicted in the fresco. It looks as if only St. John resting on his breast, St. Peter on Christ's right and the apostle on his left respond to Christ's words that one of them will betray him. Judas, wearing a red halo, is seated opposite Christ, pointing his finger at himself.  

Entombment and Resurrection

The wall paintings of the Entombment and the Resurrection belong to the Passion scenes on the south wall of the presbytery of the church. In the fresco of the Entombment, Mary lays the body of Christ and is assisted by St. John at the head of Christ and Joseph of Arimathea at his feet. The scene includes four women lamenting. The Resurrection wall painting depicts the stone being rolled away and Jesus Christ coming out of the tomb with a blessing gesture of the right hand. Three soldiers with helmets, wearing chain mail and armed with spears and maces, are sleeping by the tomb.