The most important sacral building in Banská Bystrica is the Cathedral of St Francis Xavier, which is also a parish church. On the site of the cathedral stood once Oberhaus (Upper House), which was during the August uprising of 1526 burned.
Upon arrival of Jesuits in the town, on the site of the former Oberhaus, they firstly built St. John's Chapel in 1648, and then, in the years 1695-1715, it was replaced by the Church of St Francis Xavier. The cathedral is a faithful copy of the Il Gesù church in Rome.
The interior of the cathedral is lavishly decorated and designed in the spirit of the liturgical reform of Second Vatican CounciI. The main hall is dominated by the altar with the painting of St Francis Xavier from 1829. The exterior architecture is dominated by two towers, which were added in 1844. Among them, there is the main port entrance with four Tuscan columns.
The Cathedral of St Francis Xavier holds regular worships, but thanks to excellent acoustics, it is a great place for concerts too.
You may need some: accommodation Banská Bystrica