- Address: Dolničarjeva ulica 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
- Phone: +386 1 234 26 90;
- Website: www.stolnica.com;
- Date of creation: XVIII century;
- Architectural style: Baroque architecture;
- Architect: Andrea del Pozzo.
Magic Ljubljana - the capital of one of the greenest countries in the world of Slovenia - welcomes and fascinates from the first seconds of all foreign guests of the Republic. This amazing city is replete with sprawling parks, cozy coastal cafes, delightful baroque architecture, unusual museums and richly painted churches. One of the most interesting sights of the capital is traditionally one of the most beautiful churches in Slovenia - the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, which we will discuss in more detail in our article.
General information
The Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Ljubljana (words - Stolnica svetega Nikolaja) is one of the most recognizable sights of Slovenia. Its history began back in the mid-13th century, when a small Romanesque church was built on this site. Years later, it was converted into a temple in the Gothic style, and only at the beginning of the XVIII century. has acquired a modern look, thus becoming almost the best example of Baroque architecture in the whole Republic.
The main architect of the new building was the Italian Andrea del Pozzo, although an important role in the reconstruction of the cathedral was played by the artists-engineers Francesco Bombassi and Giulio Quaglio, who added to the original plan two belfries that looked like the towers of the Salzburg Cathedral. The construction itself lasted about 5 years and was completed in 1706.
The exterior of the cathedral
The first thing that catches your eye when you look at the exterior of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Ljubljana is the huge 8-gang dome created by Matei Medved in 1841. It is located on the eastern side at the intersection of the main and transverse nave. Another attraction of the exterior of the church is the 2 church towers built in the beginning of the 18th century, where old relics and important parchment inscriptions are kept. By the way, one of the 6 bells of the cathedral dating from 1326 has a great historical and cultural value. It is one of the oldest three bells in Slovenia, so many tourists dream not only to get inside the church, but also to climb the bell tower.
The facades of the Cathedral of Ljubljana are decorated with niches of the XIX-XX centuries, in which there are statues of bishops and saints, baroque frescoes and ancient Roman tombstones. Here is a collection of stone monuments Talnitsa (Dolničarjev lapidarij), which was created in the early XVIII century. on the initiative of the historian Johann Gregor Talnitzer. The south facade of the church deserves special attention, the main decoration of which is a sundial with Roman numerals. A famous Latin motto "You do not know, day or hour ...", dated 1826, is carved around them.
The main entrance to the temple is located in the western part and is decorated with a plaque with an inscription which, in Latin, reads "Old memories of the cathedral church". Here you can see Gothic iconography (a drink) - a copy of the one that was on this place in the former cathedral. Sculptured bronze doors, which today serve as one of the main decorations of the sanctuary, were created in 1996 in honor of the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenian territory.
Interior of St. Nicholas Cathedral
Despite perestroika and numerous reconstructions, the interior of the temple today is not much different from the original. Most of the cathedral is decorated with frescoes painted by Giulio Quaglio in 1703-1706. and 1721-1723 years. Other attractions include altar angels on the right side of the nave (the work of the brothers Paolo and Giuseppe Groppelli in 1711) and several sculptures created by Angelo Putti - the statue of four Bishops of Emona (1712-1713), the bust of Johann Anton Talnitscher (1715 g .) and the reliefs of angels in spherical triangles at the altar of Saint Trinity.
Separate attention deserves the inside of the dome, painted a couple of years after its installation by the Slovenian artist Matjazzh Langus. In the center is a fresco depicting the Holy Spirit and the angels, while on the walls of the dome you can see scenes of the Coronation of Our Lady and the glorification of St. Nicholas surrounded by angels and saints.
How to get there?
The Cathedral of St. Nicholas is in the center of Ljubljana , surrounded by the main sights of the capital, so it can be found without difficulty even a novice traveler. You can get to the temple in several ways:
- On foot . If you live in the central part of the city, do not be lazy and take advantage of the opportunity to get to know the local architecture, walking a couple of blocks to the temple on foot. A guide for the newcomers will serve as the famous Dragon Bridge , 100 meters from which the church is located.
- On a personal car . The quickest way to get directly to the main entrance to the cathedral is to rent a car in advance and follow the coordinates of the GPS-navigator.
- By bus . Another popular way of traveling around Ljubljana is public transport. The nearest stop to the church is near the Bridge of Dragons and is called Zmajski most. You can reach it by buses 2, 13 and 20.