The Church of St. Michael the Archangel was originally considered to be younger. According to current information, dendrochronological research conducted in 2023 by Ing. Arch. Martin Bóna PhD. and Mgr. et Mgr. Mojmír Chóma, it’s sure that the church was built between years 1125 and 1126. 

The Romanesque Church of St. Michael the Archangel consists of a semicircular stone apse, a nave, and a cylindrical tower with a spiral staircase leading to the gallery (a raised platform inside the church).

Several original Romanesque architectural elements have been preserved in the church, such as slit windows, two on the south side of the nave, one in the axis of the apse and one in the tower, and a simple Romanesque portal on the right side of the southwest facade next to the tower. The apse conch with remnants of frescoes is also Romanesque. The frescoes were destroyed by weather conditions when the church was without a roof.

For unknown reasons, the church was left without a roof for an unknown time. Chronicle from 1828 mentions that it was still functional. In 1936, the church was restored under the leadership of Doc. PhDr. Ing. arch. Václav Mencl, DrSc. and given a new roof.

 According to the original plans, the interior of the church was to be decorated by the academic painter Ľudovít Fulla, but it didn’t happened due to the events of 1938-1939.

Another renovation took place in 1975-1976.

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is unique, because it is the only Romanesque church in Slovakia with a cylindrical tower. 

Similar churches with cylindrical towers can be found mainly in England (183), Germany (20), Andorra, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and South Africa (1 each).

Sources:

Maťašeje Peter: Sakrálne objekty a symboly Klížskej doliny, 2024 (Sacred Buildings and Symbols of the Klížska Valley, 2024)

Gajdoš Jozef: Počiatky Benediktínov v Európe a na Slovensku, 2023 ( The Beginnings of the Benedictines in Europe and Slovakia, 2023) 

Maťašeje Peter: 

Gajdoš Jozef: 

Photograph from the collection of the Tríbeč Museum in Topoľčany, from 1931. The photograph shows architect Milan Harminc.