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950th anniversary of the establishment of the Benedictine abbey in Hronský Beňadik

€10 silver collector coin

The obverse of the coin
The reverse of the coin

The Benedictine abbey in Hronský Beňadik is a complex of fortified sacred buildings founded in 1075 by King Géza I of Hungary, who aimed to establish an influential religious institution renowned throughout Hungary. During the period of high feudalism, St Benedict’s Abbey served as a model for teaching tillage and the cultivation of agricultural crops. The Benedictines were also experts in metallurgy and construction. The abbey’s importance and indispensable role in feudal society stemmed from its function as a locus credibilis—a place where legal documents could be authenticated. The abbey is considered a possible origin of the ‘Nitra Gospel Book’ (Nitriansky evanjeliár), the oldest book from the territory of Slovakia. The abbey complex represents a symbiosis of various architectural styles—from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque—and still stands prominently over what was once an important trading crossroads. It was included in the list of national cultural heritage sites on 24 April 1970.