St. James’s Church in the town of Levoča belongs to the biggest gothic churches in Slovakia. It is a functioning cathedral and as a parish church of the former free royal town of Levoča , it has served its believers for daily worshipping for more than 700 years.
It has a rich history and is a treasury of many art monuments. The evidence of it is the fact that it combines three National Cultural Monuments. Apart from the church architecture, the works of the medieval well-known woodcarver Master Pavol from Levoča (Majster Pavol z Levoče) as well as the works of the baroque jeweler Ján Szillasy are protected as another National Cultural Monuments.
The church is consecrated to St. James sr. the Apostle, protector of the fighters, the pilgrims and the workers, venerated by the whole medieval Europe. July 25th is a special day dedicated to him. In the past, big anniversary fairs took place in Levoča that day.
Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. James belongs to the most important monuments of sacral art in Slovakia. Since 1965, the church and its interior improvements, has been protected as a National Cultural Monument. The main altar is the most admired one. At the same time, it is the highest gothic altar in the world. Its author is a well-known late gothic woodcarver, Master Pavol from Levoča. The altar is 18 meters and 62 centimeters high.
The work of Ján Szillasy also belongs to a National Cultural Monuments. His monstrances, chalices and other sacral objects decorated by enamel and wrought decor, inset with gemstones and Bohemian garnets are from the second half of the 18th century. In 1992, this work was proclaimed a National Cultural Monument.