The old town school on Hlavná Street is one of the town’s significant historical monuments Prešov and at the same time it is the oldest surviving school building in the town. Its origins date back to the early 15th century. The standard of education at that time is also evidenced by a record from 1415, when the registers of the University of Vienna mention the first student from Prešov. Graduates of the town school later went on to study at universities in Vienna, Kraków and various Italian cities.
The History of the Old Town School
The original 15th-century school building has not survived. Between 1519 and 1521, the town council commissioned a new building to be erected on the site under the supervision of Master Peter Ital. It was a single-storey, three-winged structure on a rectangular ground plan, featuring a gabled parapet, an entrance portal and a staircase.
The town school ceased to exist after it was built The Evangelical College and the start of regular teaching in 1667. However, the building continued to be associated with education. From 1673, it housed a Jesuit grammar school, which later came under the administration of other religious orders. From the last third of the 19th century, a state Catholic grammar school operated here. In 1889, it moved to a new building.
Transformations of a historic building
Over the centuries, the old town school was damaged by fire on several occasions and subsequently rebuilt. A significant change was brought about in particular by The great fire of Prešov on 6 May 1887, which affected almost the entire historic city centre. The old town school was among the buildings that were destroyed or damaged.
Following the fire, the building underwent extensive renovation. Its layout was altered, the staircase was relocated, a second storey was added, and the façade was remodelled in the Neo-Renaissance style. The building’s current appearance therefore combines older structural elements with alterations from later periods.
The Old Town School today
A historic building at the address 139 Hlavná Street, Prešov Today it houses the P. O. Hviezdoslav Library. The building therefore remains linked to education, books and access to information, even though its original function as a municipal school ceased long ago.
Source: OOCR RŠ
Source of photographs: OOCR RŠ
Map
Information
Old Town School The building at 139 Hlavná Street is now associated with public librarianship. The P. O. Hviezdoslav Library operates from the building, meaning that this historic building continues to serve an educational and cultural purpose to this day.
The building is also of interest from the point of view of architectural development. Its current appearance is the result of several alterations, having been significantly influenced by the great fire in Prešov in 1887 and the subsequent reconstruction.
The building can be classified as a stop at a tour of the historic centre of Prešov. When visiting the town, it is situated in the central part of Hlavná Street and can naturally be combined with other historical monuments in the vicinity.
The Old Town School is also significant as a reminder of Prešov’s long-standing tradition of education. As early as 1415, there is evidence of a student from Prešov studying at the University of Vienna, which highlights the city’s links with the wider European academic community.
