History

The Monastery of St. Hyppolitus on the Mount Zobor near Nitra is the oldest known monastery in the territory of Slovakia. Its establishment has not been clearly explained; however, it is possible that the monastery dates as far back as the 9^th century. During the period between the 11^th and 13^th centuries the Benedictine monastery served as one of the spiritual, public service and cultural centres of the Kingdom of Hungary. However, its importance declined at the end of the 14th century and by the end of the 15th century the monastery was no longer mentioned in historical documents.  

In the late 17^th century, a new Camaldolese monastery was built at the site. Camaldolese monks stayed there until the abolition of monasteries under the so-called Josephine reforms in 1782. The architecture of the medieval Benedictine monastery was demolished by the construction of the Camaldolese monastery. In the 20^th century, a hospital for respiratory diseases was built on the site.