Church of Sv. Štefan

History

The historical development of settlements in the area, the administrative divisions of the Roman Catholic Church authorities, the area's castle lords and property owners, and major trade routes determined and influenced the development of sacral architecture and the artistic trends related to it. Two centuries of Turkish invasions brought fire and havoc to the region that mutilated the oldest architectural foundations of the churches, which had to be rebuilt. Major reconstruction and refurnishing of churches occurred again mainly in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. As a result of the economic strength of the area and the popularity of neoclassical architecture during this period, many church interiors were refurbished and numerous churches were rebuilt. A great number of small chapels and wooden shrines also appeared at this time.

Parish Church of Sv. Štefan, Ribnica

After 811, the early Ribnica parish was the center of an extensive missionary area. The present church was built between 1866 and 1868 and boasts paintings by eminent artists of the period such as J. Wolf, J. Koželj, and I. Grohar. Its steeples were designed by the architect Jože Plečnik to replace those destroyed during World War II.

In addition to the Parish Church of Sv. Štefan, there are three other parish churches in the Municipality of Ribnica: Sv. Rok in Dolenja vas and Sv. Gregor and Sv. Jožef in Velike Poljane.

Luxury, Sv. Tomaž, Velike Poljane

Succursal Church of Sv. Tomaž, Velike Poljane

The Church of Sv. Tomaž is one of the oldest and most important churches in the formerly extensive Ribnica parish. It was erected in the middle of the 14th century by Count Oton Ortenburg, the landowner at the time, who was required by the Patriarch of Aquileia to establish a vicariate here as well. The vicariate and the parish are mentioned in documents from 1444, but the vicariate was later abolished. The unvaulted 14th-century nave with its short vaulted presbytery from the 17th century contains important remnants of medieval frescoes. The most important motif is luxury, which in the Middle Ages was depicted as the cardinal sin of impurity and lust.

Holy Family, Hans Georg Geigerfelder (17th cent.)

Succursal Church of the Name of Mary, Goriča vas

Through several reconstructions, the church grew from the original chapel, which today is the presbytery. In the 16th century, the church was an important pilgrimage site. The 17th century polymath Janez Vajkard Valvasor mentions its three rich altars. Its best-known painting is of the Holy Family, done by the Novo mesto artist Hans Georg Geigerfelder or from his sketches.

Succursal Church of Sv. Urh, Maršiči

At its core this is a medieval building, but the first mention of this church only appears in the records of the Carniola parish in 1581. It was later renovated in the Baroque period. The frescoes with original scenes and medieval motifs on the walls of the nave, the triumphal arch, and the presbytery are representative of a special group of "Croatian" painters of the 16th century. The dominant warm earthy colours, the rich ornamentation, the genre and anecdotal emphasis, and Protestant imagery such as the "Pilgrim Fox" give this group of artists special significance in our churches.

St. Cecilia by A. Postl (above Eisl organ)

Succursal Church of Sv. Križ, Jurjevica

First mentioned in a land register from 1576, this church acquired its Baroque appearance in the 18th century. Built in 1722, its organ is one of the best preserved of those made by the famous Ljubljana master J.J. Eisl. At its top is a picture of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music, by A. Postl. This church is also known as a pilgrimage site and has its own adjoining cemetery.
The pilgrimage chapels that mark the path from Breže to the church were painted by Alojz Čemažar in 1993.

Holy Sepulcher chapel, Jurjevica

This is one of the finest examples in Slovenia of this type of chapel, which was built in Slovenia until the Josephine reforms of 1783. Holy Sepulcher chapels copy the architecture of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, which the Franciscans introduced to the Western world at the beginning of the 17th century with precise descriptions and measurements.

Maležič grave

Succursal Church of Sv. Trojica, Hrovača

The site of the church was originally consecrated to Sv. Jakob. During the French occupation, it was required that cemeteries be moved away from parish churches or larger settlements, but by 1812 there was again a cemetery adjoining the church. It contains several important grave monuments such as Maležič monument from 1935 by the sculptor F. Gorše. The church was renovated in 1909 in the neoclassical style. The eminent Vrhnika artist Simon Ogrin painted the interior of the church in 1912. The organ made in 1792, which was moved here from the Parish Church of Sv. Štefan in 1874, is the only surviving example in Slovenia of the work of Celje's master organ maker Anton Scholz.

Chalice from 1507

Succursal Church of Sv. Lenart, Nemška vas

The village was first mentioned in 1291, and the rich ceremonial furnishings of the church such as a chalice from 1507 testify to the age of the church. Since the renovations in 1863, the preserved 17th-century presbytery has served as the sacristy. Inside is an important Jansenist Stations of the Cross, which is quite rare today in Slovenia. The stations are painted according to the Biblical description of events, and particular emphasis is given to the great number of people depicted in the scenes. The work was done by the artist Janez Potočnik in 1791.

Church of Sv. Peter, Prigorica

Succursal Church of Sv. Peter, Prigorica

This Baroque building was renovated in 1855. It has a richly furnished interior, and the main alter is painted on the wall and compositionally linked with the altar picture, the work of P. Kunl from 1855. The stone font for holy water is dated 1705. Beside the church is an abandoned cemetery that contains the grave of Ignacij Merhar (1856-1944), the founder of volunteer firefighters' associations and a pioneer of the Slovene command language used by firefighters.

Castle church of Sv. Jurij, Ortnek Church of Sv. Jožef, Velike Poljane

Castle Church of Sv. Jurij, Ortnek

Beside the ruins of the ancient castle built in the 13th century by the Ortenburgs stands an abandoned and slowly collapsing church built in the 17th century. Along with its architecture, the church's rich furnishings from the same period once ranked among the foremost woodcarving of the times. Fate was kind to the altars, which have been successfully restored, and an important work, a painting of St. George by the Novo mesto artist Hans Georg Geigerfelder, now hangs in the National Gallery in Ljubljana.

A tour of Ribnica's churches should also take you to the Church of Sv. Ana, a former refuge church. On the opposite side of the valley on a hill above Sajevec is the Church of Sv. Frančišek from 1721. Also visit the Parish Church of Sv. Rok in Dolenja vas, finished in 1820, and walk past the new cemetery to the chapel of Sv. Marjeta, which was once the presbytery of a medieval church. At the beginning or at the end of your tour, visit the cemetery church in Velike Poljane and the Parish Church of Sv. Jožef built in 1900. You might also visit the village of Sv. Gregor, the birthplace of Dr. Janez Evangelist Krek, and see the interesting Parish Church of Sv. Gregor (St. Gregory the Great). In any case, be sure to visit the pilgrimage church in Nova Štifta, which was highly important in the development of sacral architecture in Slovenia and now belongs in the Municipality of Sodražica.