Touring Town Hall.

The Town Hall representative building stands out among the houses of Hlavná (Main) Street, not only for its size and majestic façade. As the residence of the town council, it also possesses a significant social status. The first town hall building was originally located in the back part of the same land plot, where the Town Hall’s west wing is now located. Later, the council moved into the house closer to the street, which, in the Renaissance period, merged with an adjacent house, creating a large integrated complex as it is known from the vistas of the city. On the side of the building facing Main Street, it was decorated with a Renaissance attic shield. The town archive was an integral part of the Town Hall, with a secure metal door to which only a notary had access. Unfortunately, in 1683 the troops of Imre Tököly stole, among other valuables, a 1238 golden seal from the town’s privileges document from King Bela IV. Germans and Slovaks fought over the political control of the town and they were joined in the 16th century by Hungarian emigrants running away from the territories occupied by the Turks. The situation was resolved by imperial orders that established a regular rotation of representatives of each group. To the lengthy list of town paid employees, besides officials and clerks, belonged occupations such as the town ??physician, an administrator of the town hospital, a midwife, teachers, a bell-ringer, a market judge, vineyard keepers, gamekeepers, shepherds, the brewer, and messengers. However, the job of messenger’s reputation was dishonoured by a man called Georgius Miletínský – a town messenger, who, according to the inscription on one of the walls of the town jail, was locked there twice. Trnava Town Hall’s original Renaissance design was erased by a Baroque style reconstruction in 1791, acquiring a more or less contemporary look with a balcony on massive stone pillars facing the street. Later, an Art Nouveau style stucco and shield with the city's coat-of-arms were added to the facade. The Town hall grounds were enlarged in the last half of the 20th century for the last time. The originally medieval corner house, with a painted stucco facade and lavish decor created by Italian masters of the university church, was connected to the main building. Presently, the original courtyard facade with the remains of the Gothic window and of a newer one dated from the 17th century are presented inside the Town Hall.

 

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