Franciscan Church (Košice)

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The Franciscan Church (Slovak: Františkánsky kostol) or the Seminary Church (Slovak: Seminárny kostol) at Hlavná ulica (English: Main Street) is the second oldest church in Košice, Slovakia.

It was built for Franciscans by the Perényi family from Perín after the big fire in 1333. Its preserved Gothic elements document a beautiful plastic Gothic decoration. The reliefs above the entrance, stone seats close to the altar and |vaults above the sanctuary and former chancel (dedicated to Saint Nicholas) are original. After the fire in 1556, the church served as a military store-house and the sanctuary as a bishop cathedral of the bishop of Eger who settled here during the occupation of Eger by Turks (1597-1671).

The interior is baroquized, the main altar has a valuable baldachin structure. The statue of Saint Charles Borromeo, a patron of the seminary, is on its copula. Almost all the altars, the pulpit and other moveables are from years 1760-1770.

The founder of the first University of Košice, the bishop of Eger Benedikt Kisdy, was buried in the crypt under the main altar. All the crypts were plundered by soldiers after World War II.