Pivko D., 2009: The provenance of stone tabernacle and altar table from the St. Emmeram's Cathedral (Nitra City). Acta Geologica Slovaca, 1, 2, 119–124.

The provenance of stone tabernacle and altar table from the St. Emmeram's Cathedral (Nitra City)

Pôvod kamenného tabernákula a oltárnej dosky z Baziliky svätého Emeráma v Nitre

Daniel Pivko

Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty on Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska dolina G, 842 15 Bratislava; pivko@fns.uniba.sk

Abstract

An unique stone Renaissance tabernacle (1497) was discovered in the upper church of the St. Emmeram's Cathedral (Nitra) in the year 2007. The rocks from the tabernacle and probably altar table of the same age come from the Gerecse Mts. in northern Hungary. The parts of the tabernacle and altar table are from the Liassic red nodular limestone, which was quarried between Tardos and Lábatlan also in time when the tabernacle was made. On the basis of the stable oxygen and carbon isotope the analysed sample can be compared with the samples from Bányahegy quarry near Tardos and the samples from Late Gothic and Renaissance fountains and font of Matthias Corvinus king palace in Visegrád of the 15^th century. Parts of the tabernacle are also from yellowish crinoidal limestone of the Lower Cretaceous which is probably from the Tata quarry. The altar table was prolonged to both sides by tuff from Obyce probably during the building of new Baroque main altar in the 18^th century. "Gerecse red marble" was used almost in the same time in Gothic tombstone (1492) and Renaissance tabernacle (1497) both from the upper church of the St. Emmeram's Cathedral.

Key words: marble, limestone, St. Emmeram's Cathedral, tabernacle, Gerecse, Liassic, Cretaceous

Manuscript received: 2009-09-22

Revised version accepted: 2009-11-25