650th anniversary of Skalica being granted the status of a free royal town

€10 silver collector coin

Because Skalica occupied a strategic position on the western border of the Hungarian Kingdom, close to vital trade routes, and because he needed to strengthen his kingdom’s north-west defences, King Louis I of Hungary granted Skalica the rights of a free royal town. The document by which he conferred this status is dated 6 October 1372 and was issued in Trnava. Although the original document was not preserved—we know about it only from a transcription—its major historical importance for the future development of the town can still be seen today. Skalica gained the right and duty to build defensive fortifications, and its citizens enjoyed a moratorium on tax and fee payments until the fortifications were completed. Goods from the town were exempted from duty and toll charges throughout the kingdom. The town was granted the right to hold weekly and annual markets, as well as all the other privileges usually conferred on free royal towns. Consequently, Skalica became a hub of economic, cultural and spiritual life in the broader local region.