Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Slowenien

St. Jacob's Church was built in 1471 on the foundations of a smaller church, at least two hundred years old than the present one. The parish church of Škofja Loka is a late-gothic hall-like church. Its interior is adorned with reliefs of guilds and church’s patrons, the ceiling is decorated with frescoes painted in the 16th century. St. Jacob’s has a black marble renaissance from 1694 and a remarkable main altar with gilded statues. In the 20th century the interior of the church was renovated according to drawings by famous Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik; chandeliers and a new baptistery were added too.

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).

The beautiful medieval city of Škofja Loka was mentioned in the year of 973 as Lonca. The town was enclosed by stone walls with five gated towers. Škofja Loka gained city rights in 1274 and became a vibrant craftsman and economic center of the region. After a devastating earthquake in 1511 that damaged nearly every building in town, Škofja Loka was successfully renovated and has not changed in appearance since. It still retains its original city plan. The heart of the town is formed by the Upper Square ( Plac and the Lower Square ( Lontrg ), lined with old and colourful buildings. Škofja Loka and its surrounding estates were the property of the Bavarian Bishops of Freising - the name literally means “bishop's meadow” - for more than 900 years, before the land was traded between Austria and Italy. Skofja Loka was inhabited by craftspeople and traders, who were organised into different guilds. Škofja Loka is considered being one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Slovenia; its both squares were proclaimed a National Cultural Monument in 1987. In the center of the Upper Square, a statue of Mother Mary commemorates the end of the plague in Škofja Loka in 1751.

The Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary (also known as Church of Mary or in Slovenian language Cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja ) is located on a small island in the middle of Lake Bled. Before this church was built, a temple dedicated to the pagan goddess of life and fertility stood at the same place. After Christianisation in 745, the ancient Slavic temple was replaced by a church, dedicated to the birth of Mary. The church was renovated in 1465. Present-day Church of Mary was rebuilt in the 17th century after an earthquake. The interior is decorated with remains of gothic frescos from around 1470 in the presbyterium and rich baroque equipment with a golden central altar and three marble side altars. The church has a free standing 52 meters high bell tower - added in 1465 - which can be visited. The tower has one large and two small bells that still resound today. The church lies on an island in the western part of Lake Bled and has been a place of worship for Catholics and a pilgrimage destination over the centuries. The first pilgrims visited the church already in the 12th century, asking for indulgences. They travelled to the island by pletnas . A pletna is a wooden gondola-like boat with a canopy, traditional for Lake Bled and still the main means of transport. Of special interest in the church is a bell of wishes, made by Francesco Patavino from Padova in 1534. The legend says that those who ring the bell and make a wish, will see their wish come true. It is possible to have Catholic, Protestant or even civil wedding ceremonies in the Church of Mary. It is a tradition that before getting married the groom carries the bride up the 99 stone steps of the staircase located on the southern part of the island.

The Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) is a group of three bridges across the Ljubljanica River, connecting the historical center with the more modern parts of Ljubljana. The central bridge - then called Lower Bridge - was opened in 1842, replacing an old wooden medieval bridge, which was already mentioned in 1280. This Lower Bridge had two arches and a metal fence. In order to prevent the ‘1842 bridge’ becoming a bottleneck the famous Slovene architect Joze Plečnik designed in 1929 the two side bridges for pedestrians. Construction started in 1931 and continued until spring 1932. Nowadays the Triple Bridge is part of the pedestrian zone of the city. From each of the side bridges, two stairways lead to terraces situated just above the river The central bridge is partly built from limestone. Other parts are built from concrete. The ‘fences’ with 642 balusters are made of artificial concrete. The platform is covered with granite blocks laid in 2010. The bridge was renovated in 1992.