Slovenia - Ljubljana, Cathedral of St. Nicholas

The site of the Ljubljana Cathedral was originally occupied by a Romanic church, which was first mentioned in1263. It was built by boatmen and fishermen in honor of their patron, Saint Nicholas. This church burnt down in 1361 and was rebuilt in gothic style. Eight years after the establishing of the Ljubljana Diocese in 1461 the cathedral was burnt down, most probably by the Turks. Early 18th century a new cathedral in baroque style was built, which was consecrated in1707. The church's dome with a height of 24 meters was only built in 1841, originally a fake dome was painted on the arch above the centre of the cross; the dome fresco was painted in 1844.

Not expecting such a beauty in Ljubljana, I was really impressed by the interior of the cathedral with its six side altars. It is a baroque masterpiece, which depicts classic gilt decorations, pink marble, detailed ceiling frescoes, carved choir stalls and a stunning main altar.

In 1859 the interior was completely renovated: the frescoes were cleaned, the walls were covered with marble and the gilding was restored. Since 2008 the cathedral has been insured as a cultural monument of national importance in Slovenia.

Two bronze doors were added in 1996 for the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenia and to commemorate a visit by former Pope John Paul II to the cathedral. The so called “Ljubljana door”- where visitors have to enter the church - has portraits of six bishops, depicting the history of the Ljubljana diocese (PiP3).