The oldest free royal borough TRNAVA was the Church "capital" of the Kingdom of Hungary for several centuries in the past. Now it is the centre of the dynamically developing area that stretches between Bratislava and Nitra.
TRNAVA (population 69,500) is the natural centre of region of Dolné Považie, the seat of both the district and regional administration and the seventh biggest town of Slovakia. Trnava is the seat of the Trnava University and the University of Sts. Constantine and Methodius, and since 1978 the Slovak metropolitan seat of archbishop. The centre of the town has been designated the Town Monument Reserve in 1987.
Fans of arts and music know the event bearing the name of important composer native of Trnava - Trnavská hudobná jar M. Sch. Trnavského (The Trnava Musical Spring of M. Sch. Trnavský). The event bears the name of an important composer, the local native. International country festival Dobrofest Trnava held here every June has won special sympathies of people. Trnava fair held every year in September is also very popular.
HISTORY
Trnava was probably founded in the late 9th century on the crossroads of the trade routes as a small market settlement and its name Sobota (Saturday) derived of the day on which market was held. The first trustworthy written reference to Trnava is from 1211, but the document issued by King Belo IV in 1238 which contained privileges of the free royal borough for Trnava as the first Slovak town is much more important in this respect.
Trnava flourished the most in the 16th century when it became an important centre of commerce. In 1543, when the Turks assaulted and occupied Esztergom, the Archbishop of Esztergom along with the Chapter moved to Trnava and the town became the centre of cultural and ecclesiastical life of the Kingdom of Hungary for almost 300 years.
In the period between the World Wars Trnava was the third biggest town of Slovakia. Its importance as an economic and cultural centre of Western Slovakia with strong agricultural background increased and it maintained this position until now.
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