Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin in Spissky Stvrtok

Traditionally, Gothic architecture has been associated withFrance; more recently, this narrow perspective has expanded toinclude the monuments of England, the German lands, the LowCountries, and Bohemia. Despite this amendment, however, the fullextent of Gothic architecture in Europe has yet to be adequatelyacknowledged. This book attempts to remedy this situation byaddressing a region neglected by English scholarship: Slovakia. Thegoal of this study is to pursue the dissemination of Gothic ideas,forms, and systems into and within this area. By focusing on asingle monument, the Late Gothic Chapel of the Assumption of theVirgin in Spisský Stvrtok, this work brings into question theconventional understanding of the scope of Gothic architecture, aswell as the conceptions of what constitutes the periphery. It isshown that this chapel not only represents a highly-refinedunderstanding of the Late Gothic, but that it also stands asmaterial evidence of the cultural, economic and political strengthof a region set into the northern margins of a kingdom. Thesefindings should be useful for those seeking a more comprehensiveunderstanding of Gothic architecture in Europe.