Beautiful Slovakia - Levoča to Mariánska Hora скачать в хорошем качестве

Beautiful Slovakia - Levoča to Mariánska Hora

Here is my drone video of a recent visit to the lovely town of Levoča and the flight to Mariánska Hora, a church set high above the town and a place of pilgrimage. Although it isn't so far from the town, it is quite a climb, at 781 m. above sea level. Mariánska Hora is situated on a hill above the town, with views over the town and countryside, and it is the location of the Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Built between 1906 and 1922, the church contains an ancient statue of the Virgin which is the objective of pilgrimages. A chapel has existed in this location since at least the 13th century. It is thought that the location was used as a refuge by townsfolk of Levoča during the Tatar invasions of the time; it may also have been attached to a hospital for sufferers from leprosy. The chapel was enlarged and rebuilt many times, including as a Baroque church in 1766. However the increasing number of pilgrims visiting the site necessitated a larger structure. Pope John Paul II, at the request of the local bishop, upgraded the church to a Basilica Minor in 1984, and visited the site himself on July 3, 1995, when about 650,000 pilgrims gathered for the occasion. The annual pilgrimage, on or around 2 July, still draws a very large number of participants.