View source for Levice

{{for|the "comune" in Italy|Levice, Piedmont}}

{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Levice
| native_name             = 
| other_name              = 
| settlement_type         = Town
<!-- images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = <!-- images and maps  -----------> {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| perrow            = 1/2/2/2/2
| total_width       = 250
| image1 = Levicky hrad 800px.jpg
| image2 = Levice-2012-03-05-square7.jpg
| image3 = LV-St. Mich. church-1.jpg
| footer = From the top, Levice Castle, Levice Town Hall, Saint Michael church in Levice}}
| image_caption           = 
| image_flag              = Levice-levice-flag.svg
| image_shield            = Coat of Arms of Levice.svg
| motto                   = 
| nickname                = 
| etymology               = 
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{SVK}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of Slovakia|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = {{flag|Nitra Region}}
| subdivision_type2       = [[Districts of Slovakia|District]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Levice District]]
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map               =
| map_caption             =
| pushpin_map             = Slovakia Nitra Region#Slovakia
| pushpin_relief          = 1
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location in Nitra Region##Location in Slovakia 
| coordinates             = {{coord|48|12|59|N|18|36|29|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
<!-- government type, leaders -->
| leader_title            = Mayor
| leader_name             = RNDr. Ján Krtík
<!-- established -->
| established_title       = First mentioned
| established_date        = [[1156]]
<!-- area -->
| area_footnotes          =<ref>{{cite web |url=https://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_DEM/om7014rr/v_om7014rr_00_00_00_sk |title=Hustota obyvateľstva - obce |author=Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk) |date= |website=www.statistics.sk |publisher= |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref> 
| area_total_km2          = 61.00
| area_total_sq_mi        =
| area_land_sq_mi         = 
| area_water_sq_mi        = 
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="base_info">{{Cite web |url=http://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_SK_WIN/om5001rr/v_om5001rr_00_00_00_sk |title=Základná charakteristika |language=sk |date=2015-04-17 |website=www.statistics.sk |publisher= Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic|access-date=2022-03-31}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 165
| elevation_ft            = 
| population_as_of        = {{Tooltip|2024|2024-12-31}}
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_DEM/om7101rr/v_om7101rr_00_00_00_sk |title=Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) |author=Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk) |date= |website=www.statistics.sk |publisher= |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref> 
| population_total        = 30 556
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_density_sq_mi=
| population_demonym      = 
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type        = Postal code
| postal_code             = 934 01<ref name="base_info"/>
| area_code_type          =  
| area_code               = +421 36<ref name="base_info"/>
| geocode                 = 
| iso_code                = 
| blank_name              = [[Slovak car registration plates|Car plate]]
| blank_info              = LV
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website                 = {{URL|http://www.levice.sk|levice.sk}}
| footnotes               = 
| area_note= ({{Tooltip|2022|2022-06-31/2022-07-01}})
}}

'''Levice''' ({{IPA|sk|ˈleʋitse|audio=Sk-Levice.ogg}}; {{langx|hu|Léva}}, <small>Hungarian pronunciation</small>: {{convertIPA-hu|'|l|é|v|a}}; {{langx|de|Lewenz}}) is a town in western [[Slovakia]]. The town lies on the left bank of the lower [[Hron]] river. The [[Old Church Slavonic|Old Slavic]] name of the town was ''Leva'', which means "the Left One".

The town is located in the north-eastern corner of the [[Danubian Lowland]] (''Podunajská nížina''), {{convert|110|km|mi|abbr=off}} east of [[Bratislava]], {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=off}} south-east of [[Nitra]], {{convert|32|km|mi|abbr=off}} south-west of [[Banská Štiavnica]], {{convert|55|km|mi|abbr=off}} south-west of [[Zvolen]] and {{convert|25|km|mi|abbr=off}} from the border with [[Hungary]].

It is the capital of the [[Levice District]], which is the largest district in Slovakia at {{convert|1,551|km2|abbr=off}}. The town's [[heraldic]] animal is lion (in Slovak ''lev''), and the town's colours are green and yellow.

==History==
[[File:Hrad Levice (Léva vára).jpg|200px|thumb|left|Levice Castle]]
Levice is first mentioned as Leua, one of the villages belonging to the parish of [[Martin of Tours|St. Martin]]'s Church in Bratka ({{langx|hu|Baratka}}) in 1156. It was part of the [[Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)|comitatus]] [[Tekov]] (''Bars'').

First attacked by the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] in 1544, the town was set on fire while the castle was left unharmed.  Between 1581 and 1589, the settlement was the seat of the [[Captaincies of the Kingdom of Hungary#Captaincy of Lower Hungary|Captaincy of Lower Hungary]]. The town was captured by the Turks in 1663 but recaptured only a year later by the [[Imperial Army (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Army]] led by General [[Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches|de Souches]] in the [[Battle of Levice]], which took place beneath the town's castle. 
[[File:Léva-1672.jpg|thumb|left|Austrian map, 1672]]
During the anti-[[Habsburg]] revolution of 1709, the fort was blown up by [[kuruc]]es.
After the break-up of [[Austria-Hungary]], the town became part of [[Czechoslovakia]] according to demarcation lines drawn by Entente forces in late 1918, with Czechoslovak troops reaching the city in January 1919 and Hungary giving up claim over it in 1920 by signing the Trianon treaty.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tolnai |first=Csaba |author-link= |date=2010 |title=Levice: Monografia mesta  |url= |location= |publisher=Harmony |page=89 |isbn=978-80-89151-27-1}}</ref> As part of the breakup of Czechoslovakia under the [[Munich Agreement]] in World War II, the town again belonged to [[Hungary]] from 1938 to 1945. At the end of the [[Second World War]] it was returned to the restored Czechoslovakia. In 1993 it became part of present-day [[Slovakia]].

It was the hometown of Hungarian-American [[Eugene Fodor (writer)|Eugene Fodor]] (1905–1991), the founder of [[Fodor's]] travel book company.

==Demographics==
{{historical population|1970|18534|1980|26710|1991|33991|2001|36538|2011|34844|2021|31974|align=right|cols=1|source=Censuses<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistical lexikon of municipalities 1970-2011|url=https://slovak.statistics.sk/wps/wcm/connect/cd33d897-7314-41d0-a12b-a95e537d7a39/Statisticky_lexikon_obci_Slovenskej_republiky_2011.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy&CVID=kRHTpsy|language=sk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2021 - Population - Basic results|url=https://www.scitanie.sk/obyvatelia/zakladne-vysledky/pocet-obyvatelov/|publisher=Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic|date=2021-01-01}}</ref>}}Census 2021:      31,974 inhabitants (100%)

===Ethnicity ===
*[[Slovaks|Slovak]]         26,652 (83.4%)
*[[Magyars|Hungarian]]       2,644 (8.3%)
*[[Czechs|Czech]]              195 (0.6%)
*[[Romanis|Romani]] 	       124 (0.4%) 

===Religious makeup===
Roman Catholic (majority), Reformed Protestant ([[Calvinist]]), [[Moravian Brethren]] (the biggest congregation in Slovakia), Lutheran, Baptist, [[Old Catholic Church]], [[Adventism|Adventist]] of the 7th Day, [[Modrý kríž (Blue Cross)]], several [[Charismatic (movement)|Charismatic]] and [[Pentecostal]] communities, [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Muslim]] community (non-practising), [[Jewish]] community (non-practising), atheists

==Economy==

===Production===
[[File:Léva - 1938.tiff|thumb|Main square – 1938]]
Textiles, cosmetics, furniture, products from locally obtained Golden [[Onyx]], machinery and construction components, cereals, meat, eggs, dairy products, soft drinks, malt, wine (Levická [[frankovka]] is a trademark for locally produced red-wine). One of Slovakia's two [[Mochovce Nuclear Power Plants|nuclear power plants]] is in [[Mochovce]], {{convert|12|km|abbr=off}}  north-west of Levice.

==Education==
There are 8 elementary schools (7 secular including 1 Hungarian, and 1 Roman Catholic school), [[Gymnazium Andreja Vrabla]], a general High School, a Hungarian Calvinist High School ([[Lyceum]]), a Business Academy, a Pedagogical and Social Academy, a Secondary Technical School, a Secondary Agricultural School and various apprentice schools.

==Main sights==
*'''The Castle''', built in a Gothic style as a trade-route guarding fort at the end of 13th century.
*'''Dobo Château''', built by [[István Dobó]], a hero of the siege of [[Eger]], in the 1560s.

[[File:Levacivertanlegi1.jpg|thumb|right|Levice castle, Slovakia, castle, aerial photography]]
[[File:Levacivertanlegi2.jpg|thumb|right|Levice castle, Slovakia, castle, aerial photography]]

===Places of worship===
[[File:Kostol Sv. Michala.jpg|200px|thumb|Church St.Michal]]
*'''St Joseph's Church''', Roman Catholic, accompanied by a baroque Franciscan convent. It is found close to the entrance to the château, and dates from the turn of the 18th century.
*'''St Michael's Church''' – Roman Catholic, found in St Michael's street (Sv. Michala). It is from the 2nd half of the 18th century
*'''Church of the Holy Spirit''' – Roman Catholic, in the Rybniky quarter. It is from the start of the 21st century
*'''Chapel of St Urban''' – Roman Catholic, F. Hecku street, 1770s
*'''Evanjelický a. v. kostol''' – Lutheran, {{proper noun|Cs. armady}} street, 1840s to 1930s
*'''Zborový dom (Congregational House)''' – Lutheran, next to the latter
*'''Kostol Reformovanej cirkvi''' – Calvinist, Sv. Michala street, end of 18th century
*'''Zborový dom (Congregational House)''' – Brethren Church, S. Chalupku street, 1983–85
*'''Synagogue''' – Jewish, K. Kittenberger street, half of 19th century

===Other sights===
*'''Schoeller's Mill''' – built at the end of the 19th century, production was cancelled in 1998, rebuilt into a complex of luxury shops, offices, dwellings and entertainment facilities.
*'''Main square''' – a good collection of [[Art-Nouveau]] and [[Eclecticism|eclectic]] buildings.
*'''Town hall''' – erected in 1902, second floor built-up while lifting the roof by a screw mechanism in 1927.
*'''Teachers Academy''' – secondary school, E point of the Kalvaria hill, N of the main square, built in 1911 as a mix of the late Art-Nouveau and Italian [[trecento]]-influenced historism.

===Functionalist architectures===
*'''District Court Building''' – corner of Mlynska and Zahradna streets, projected by Milan Michal Harminc
*'''Fried's House''' – corner of L. Stura and Sv. Michala streets
*'''Strasser's House''' – Sturova street, next to the Fried's House
*'''Fertsek Brothers House''' – corner of Soltesova square and {{proper noun|Ceskoslovenskej armady}} street
*'''Munk's House''' – corner of Mlynska and Zahradna streets
*'''Reitmann's House''' – Mlynska street, a passage to I. Krasku street
*'''Eisler's House''' – corner of Mlynska and L. Stura streets
*'''Police District Headquarters Building''' – former Seat of District Authority, crossing of Kalvinske square and Sv. Michala street
*'''Health Insurance Company Building''' – M. R. Stefanik street, later Infant Hospital

==Nearby places of interest==
 
*[[Horšianska Dolina]] (Horša Valley) – nature preserve with unique plant and animal [[Endemism|endemics]], folk architecture in Horša
*[[Kalinčiakovo]] – this village has a tiny but well preserved [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] church dating from the 12th century (see [[Romanesque church in Kalinčiakovo]]) and the swimming pool of [[Margita-Ilona]]
*[[Hronský Beňadik]] – medieval fort-monastery with Gothic entrance, tombs and memorabilia of Hungarian noblemen
*[[Želiezovce]]– Neoclassical residence of Count [[House of Esterházy|Eszterhazy]], and Soví zámoček (Owl Château) where the Austrian composer [[Franz Schubert]] taught music
*[[Santovka]]– [[mineral water]] springs and swimming pool
*[[Brhlovce]]– cave-like dwellings cut into volcanic rock, nominated as a [[UNESCO World Heritage]] site
*[[Čajkov]]– known for local [[folk costume]]s and the annual wine harvest festival
*[[Pukanec]]– tiny mining town once enjoying the status of [[Free royal town]], still known for hand-made pottery
*[[Sitno (peak)|Sitno]]– volcanic peak in the [[Štiavnica Mountains]], [[Celt]]ic funeral place, medieval castle ruins, and a botanic [[nature reserve]] featuring rare [[rose]] species

==Notable people==
*[[Eva Borušovičová]] (1970–2025), director, screenwriter, writer, born in Levice
* [[Juraj Cintula]] (born 1953), attempted assassin of Slovak Prime Minister [[Robert Fico]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Databazeknih.cz |title=Juraj Cintula - životopis a ocenění |url=https://www.databazeknih.cz/zivotopis/juraj-cintula-99234 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=www.databazeknih.cz}}</ref>
* [[Eugene Fodor (writer)|Eugene Fodor]] (1905–1991), writer; born in Levice
* [[Pál Kadosa]] (1903–1983), composer and pianist; born in Levice
* [[Kálmán Kittenberger]] (1881–1958), geographer; born in Levice
* [[Peter Lovaš]] (born 1978), para table tennis player, born in Levice
* [[Mia Pohánková]] (born 2008), tennis player, born in Levice
* [[Géza Steinhardt]] (1873–1944), Hungarian Jewish actor; born in Levice<ref name="NationalTheaterHistoryMuseumandInstitute">{{Cite web |date=1994 |title=Steinhardt Géza; Szekeres |trans-title=Hungarian Theater Arts Lexicon |url=https://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02139/html/sz23/304.html |website=Magyar színházművészeti lexikon |language=hu}}</ref>

==Twin towns — sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia}}

Levice is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerské mestá|url=https://www.levice.sk/partnerske-mesta.phtml?id3=65333|publisher=Levice|language=sk|access-date=2019-09-02}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Boskovice]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Érd]], Hungary
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Náměšť na Hané]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Ruda Śląska]], Poland
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Skierniewice]], Poland
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.levice.sk/ Official town web site]
* [http://mapa.zoznam.sk/mapy-miest/Levice Map of Levice]
* [http://www.leviceonline.sk/ Portál Leviceonline.sk – regionálny internetový portál pre Levice a okolie]
* [http://www.levican.sk/ Levické internetové noviny Levičan.sk]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120304023058/http://www.mestolevice.sk/ MestoLevice.sk – online katalóg firiem]

{{Levice District}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Slovakia]]
[[Category:Tekov]]
[[Category:First Vienna Award]]