Kamenné Kosihy: Church, History and Landscape

Kamenné Kosihy combines a long local history with evidence of religious and rural architecture. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin and preserved farmhouses with outbuildings give the village a cultural and historical focus. At the same time, Kamenné Kosihy lies in a flat valley of the Studienka stream; the municipality also includes unforested hilly terrain with low, dissected ridges. Those considering a stay can therefore get a sense of the village through its architectural history, memorial sites and landscape.

Church of St. Martin and religious architectural history

The Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin was built in 1824 in the Neoclassical style. It stands on a hill in the village centre, beside the main road, making it a prominent landmark within the built-up area. The church contains a 2 m × 3 m altarpiece depicting its patron saint, St. Martin. The building and the altarpiece offer different points of emphasis: the Neoclassical style defines the architecture, while the painting places the patron saint at the centre. Together, the year of construction, design and subject of the painting offer a concise introduction to Kamenné Kosihy’s religious history.

History and memorial sites

A written record from 1135 lists Kamenné Kosihy as property of the monastery in Bzovík. This means the documented local history dates back to the Middle Ages. A much more recent landmark is the commemorative plaque that the municipality erected in 2005 to mark a Keszi gathering. The former manor house of the Lipcsei landowning family stood beside the present-day cultural centre. These three points of reference—an early written record, a gathering commemorated, and the site of a historic manor house—give the local history different chronological and architectural layers.

A white marble slab marks the grave of Lipcsey Sándor. The New Cemetery, with a central cross, lies in the northwestern part of the municipality. These two features point to different forms of remembrance: an individual grave marker and a cross at the centre of a cemetery.

Landscape and rural architecture

At the village level, Kamenné Kosihy lies in the flat valley of the Studienka stream. At the same time, the municipality’s terrain is characterised by unforested hills with low, dissected ridges. The valley and the hills describe the landscape at different scales: the valley locates the village, while the low, dissected ridges characterise the terrain of the municipality. Looking at both gives a nuanced picture of the landscape.

Rural architecture can be seen in the preserved farmhouses with outbuildings. They date from the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Compared with the church, whose year of construction, 1824, is known, the preserved farmhouses thus span two periods, offering a different perspective on the village’s architectural development. Residents worked in agriculture, viticulture and fruit growing. These livelihoods add an economic dimension to the built heritage of the village.

A dated cultural event

On 20 July 2024, Kamenné Kosihy hosted the festival palóckych jedál, described as traditional. Competitors from Hungary also took part.

Discover more destinations: Obeckov, Malá Čalomija, Bátorová, Slovenské Ďarmoty, Balog Nad Ipľom, Širákov, Dačov Lom, Vinica.

For the wider travel overview: Okres Veľký Krtíš.