Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Salt Mine construction began in 1719, and from the beginning of the construction there was talk of "mining church". The nearby salt works allocated a site for its construction in the place where the chapel of St. Róchus is located.
About 500 worshippers gathered in this church. For safety reasons, the stone building was supported by pillars. The church had a vault which was made of inappropriate boards and had no structure. The earthquake of 1778 added to all this. It was the last circumstance that affected the decision on the construction of a new church. Another reason was also the growth of the population of Solivar, which needed a place to worship, because at that time only the parish church of the Holy Trinity was "functional".
The then Bishop of Košice Msgr. Andrej Sabó negotiated about the new building with the royal court chamber. The proposal was subsequently submitted to the king, who readily approved it in 1823. The building was completed in the spring of 1824.
Exterior Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is characterized by a balanced classical architecture. On the right side of the entrance to the church there is a plaque and behind it is the founding document in Latin.
Interior The church is a single-nave space divided into three parts. In the presbytery stands the main altar consisting of two parts. The rear part of the presbytery consists of painted architecture on the wall depicting St Peter and St Paul in larger-than-life size. On the side painted columns there is a tympanum depicting God the Father. Below it is suspended an oil painting depicting the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan. The altar is original and dates from 1825.
In the presbytery there is a classical pulpit from the beginning of the 19th century. The nave itself is vaulted with the so-called Bohemian plaque and in the middle of it is the Gospel scene "The Sermon on the Mount of Beatitudes". Before the restoration there was a painting of the "Samaritan Woman at the Well of Life". In the end nodes are painted four portraits of the Evangelists with their attributes. In the nave there are two side altars made of wood. One depicts St. Joseph and the other Pieta. Both are from the first half of the 19th century. In the tower there is one bell made in Pest in about 1871.
The Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Salt Mine was repaired several times. All the sediment that has been there since the church was built has been removed. The same fate befell the large chandelier, which was in the nave and looked very impressive. The organ was also replaced. In 1982 new tiles were laid and later the exterior of the church was restored.
Source : www.solivar.fara.sk
Cover photo: Wikipedia - by Jozef Kotulič - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://lnk.sk/yO48
