The town of Krupina located between the winemaking and mining regions of central Slovakia made a significant profit from wine trade, especially after the 1526 battle of Mohacs. Soon after this the once inland town appeared directly on the border. Not only a political border but on the cultural border of the Islamic and Christian world as well, with the Ottoman Empire becoming its neighbor. This new situation together with favorable natural conditions and specific location of the town, made Krupina’s wine trade crucial. In order to protect the town’s profitable activities from the tumultuous events at the frontier, the town developed a specific system of extensive storage rooms in a relatively small area encircled with town walls, in the form of underground cellars carved in rock. While some of this underground rock cut architecture remains inaccessible due blocked entrances, the others are partially inaccessible due to their location on private properties. Monument Board of Slovak Republic has attempted to map and evaluate the entire later category, which but for one instance was a success. The obtained data was then placed into the context of the historical and contemporary political situation and with the results of non-destructive landscape survey in the bounds of the town’s cadaster. This contribution examines the origin, mapping and assessment of this phenomenon at this site which is unique in the area of Slovakia as well as the perspectives of its protection and use for the community.
Author(s): Mino, Martin (Monument Board of Slovak Republic)
