Rimavské Brezovo, Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession

The originally Early Gothic church in Rimavské Brezovo was dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary before the Reformation. Today the Evangelical church is a single-nave building with a presbytery from the 1st half of the 14th century. It underwent the biggest renovation in 1893 due to the growing number of inhabitants as a result of the ironworks built in the village.

The unique wall paintings from the 2nd half of the 14th century in the original Gothic part of the church are probably the work of artists from the workshop of the Master of the Ochtiná Presbytery.

Another valuable discovery of the archaeological excavations is the original approximately 700-year-old pavement in the presbytery of the church.

Draw your attention to these wall paintings

The woman innkeeper from hell

An interesting fresco, to the left of the altar, which is part of the oldest painting layer (related to the consecration of the church at the beginning of the 14th century), was uncovered by the restorer Miroslav Janšto only in 2016.

The unusual subject - a woman pouring over vessels and being attacked by demons or monsters - is found in Slovakia only in the church in Liptovské Sliače. Other details are equally unusual: the demon on the left is probably discharging excrement into a barrel, and demons in the background are tormenting naked human figures. What the figures on the lower right are doing is impossible to discern because of the damage.

According to literary sources, the fresco has been interpreted as part of the Morality Cycle or an allegory of gluttony. Contemporary art historians and theorists state that this painting represents the motif of an innkeeper tormented by demons in hell. The theory is based on the change in iconography in depictions of the Last Judgement since the early 14th century, when instead of the general type of heretic (heretic), rapist or adulteress, figures of cheating artisans and innkeepers appear in Hell. The negative portrayal of the innkeeper is probably one of the manifestations of the misogynistic (woman-hating) character of the Middle Ages and based on contemporary ideas that women were more subject to sin. Excessive drinking used to be associated with gluttony, the product of which is excrement, hence the depiction of the demon on the barrel.

Madonna and Child on the fresco in the nave

The fresco is located on the south wall of the nave of the church, which was largely destroyed during the reconstruction. It depicts St Anne as a Madonna with a child in her arms, to whom women come with gifts in baskets and also bring her squabs to prepare the traditional soup for the mother. It is very likely that this depiction is quite unique in Slovakia and is related to the strongly rooted Marian veneration in the Slovak countryside.

Blessing Christ on the vault of the presbytery/Christ in glory

The wall painting from the 2nd half of the 14th century is the most striking element of the eastern part of the vault of the presbytery of the church. The work, probably by a pupil of the Master of the Ochtiná presbytery, depicts a figure of Christ blessing in a shining circle with the Sun and the Moon. The winged lion and the eagle with golden wings on the sides symbolise the Evangelists Mark and John, and the angel and the winged bull opposite them symbolise the Evangelists Matthew and Luke.