By Compiled by Spectator staff
Copyright sme
A violent thunderstorm that hit the mountain village of Špania Dolina in central Slovakia last July led to an unusual discovery. Lightning struck the tower of the 13th-century Church of the Transfiguration, sending its copper spire crashing onto the roof. Inside the fallen sphere was a sealed metal case: a time capsule from 1858.
The capsule held coins, documents and a letter, and quickly became a source of local pride. “People always said there must be a hidden treasure here — and there really was,” mayor Martina Wilhelmerová told My Bystrica.
After restoration, the artefacts were returned this spring to their original place at the top of the church tower — together with a new capsule. The modern deposit includes euro and former Slovak coins, commemorative notes, lace made in the village, and a record of the storm that uncovered its predecessor.
One of the contributors, organist Matúš Kucbel, added music for the church’s historic 1751 organ, along with a message to future generations: “Take care of this church and its precious organ. God bless you.”
The brief rediscovery, displayed during a concert before being sealed again, has linked Špania Dolina’s past with its present — waiting now for the next lightning strike, or the next century.
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