LJUBLJANA CASTLE Sevidova Ekaterina Alp Dervis Sire Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA CASTLE Sevidova Ekaterina Alp Dervis Sire
Ljubljana Castle is a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above the downtown of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is a key element of the Ljubljana skyline. Originally a Medieval fortress, probably built in the 11 th century and rebuilt in the 12 th century, it acquired its present outline with an almost complete overhaul in the 15 th century, whereas the majority of the buildings date to the 16 th and 17 th centuries. At first a defense structure and since the first half of the 14 th century the seat of the lords of Carniola, it was since the early 19 th century used as a penitentiary, then in the first half of the 20 th century as a residential complex and in the latest times as a tourist attraction and a major cultural venue.
Ancient history According to archeological surveys, the area of the present castle has been settled continuously since 1200 BC, when the first settlements and later fortifications were built. The hill summit probably became a Roman army stronghold after fortifications were built in Illyrian and Celtic times
Middle Ages The first Ljubljana Castle is believed to have been a wooden and stone fortification built in the 11 th century. The oldest written mention of Ljubljana Castle is inscribed on a parchment sheet Nomina defunctorum which is kept by the Udine Cathedral Archive and most probably dates to the second half of 1161. Until 1144 the castle became property of the House of Sponheim. In 1256, Ljubljana Castle was mentioned in a document as the most important castle of the rulers of Carniola. In the late 1270, it was conquered by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. In 1278, after the defeat of Ottokar, it became property of Rudolph of Habsburg. In the 15 th century it was almost completely demolished and rebuilt with a complete wall and towers at the entrance, where a drawbridge was placed. In the 16 th and 17 th centuries, other objects were gradually built.
Modern period In the 17 th and 18 th centuries, the castle became an arsenal. The town of Ljubljana and the castle were occupied for two times. In the period of the Illyrian Provinces, the castle was used as barracks and a military hospital, later it became a prison, but resuming that function during World War II. Because it was not a home of a ruler or another important noble person and because a fortification in the area was no longer required, the castle started to lose its importance and several famous people were jailed in the castle. In 1905, the castle was bought by Municipality of Ljubljana for 60, 200 Kronen. The plan was however not carried out. The residents stayed there until 1963, when preparations for renovation of the castle began. The remains of the fortifications on Castle Hill were reworked in the 1930 s a promenade called Šance.
Contemporary history At the end of the 1960 s, the long and extensive renovation works started. The whole renovation took more than 35 years. In the 1990 s, the use of the castle as a place for weddings and cultural events began. In 1974 a monument by the sculptor Stojan Batič dedicated to the Slovene peasant revolts was erected in the vicinity of the castle. The Ljubljana Castle funicular, a funicular railway to the top of Castle Hill, was built in 2006 and brought to service on 28 December 2006.
Interesting facts • The Castle Vine grows next to the dungeon at the Ljubljana Castle. It was planted on 30 September 1990 as a symbol of friendship between Maribor and Ljubljana. It has been found that the vine growing in Lent, the old part of Maribor, is the oldest noble vine in the world, reaching over 400 years of age. The Maribor Wine Convent has rules stipulating whom to donate its grafts. The Ljubljana Castle is the home of the Wine Convent of St. Urban and vine cutting and grape harvesting are celebrated every year.
• Castle Pipers During warm and sunny summer months, Castle Pipers, dressed in replicas of original clothes, will blow their instruments at the Ljubljana Castle Viewing Tower every Saturday from 6 June to 26 September 2015 at 11: 30. Although the Castle was once owned by the State Governor, it was the bourgeois who protected the town and the town hill. In addition to the bourgeois fortress, townspeople also took care of the Pipers’ Tower. This was in fact a reshaped entrance tower from the times of Frederick. On a wooden landing that was set up around the Pipers’ Tower, Castle Pipers would blow three trombones and one cornet every day at 11 a. m. Certainly, playing music was not their primary task, but it is the one that was revived in 2010 due to its attractiveness and in memory of Castle Pipers. The project is being implemented in cooperation with Ljubljana Tourism.
• Knjigobežnice On presenting ‘Knjigobežnice’, its initiator Nina Kožar wrote that selfinitiative is a key aspect of the project. We have therefore undertaken the project ourselves at the Ljubljana Castle Public Institute. We have purchased all of the material required for the construction of bookshelves designed by Klara Zalokar and Klemen Zupančič from the creative tandem Handmade in Moste. During the autumn-winter period, these are appropriate locations in the lower and upper funicular stations, in the lower Lapidary and under the arcades beneath the Estates Hall. In the spring-summer months, the bookshelves will also find a place in the shade under the castle chestnut trees, which is a particularly pleasant location for reading. We therefore encourage visitors to read and exchange books, which is the guiding principle of the project ‘Knjigobežnice’. “Leave a book, take a book!” is written on the castle ‘book vanishing points’, so you are warmly invited to read books at the Ljubljana Castle and to bring them along with you for others to read!
Stories of Ljubljana Castles The castles are extremely attractive to a broad circle of domestic and foreign visitors, igniting the spirit of adventure in people… in addition to stories about hidden treasures, underground passageways, castle towers and dungeons, they also spark curiosity about the new content that enriches the ancient spaces today. The Ljubljana castles combine rich historical heritage with cultural activities, as they are also seats of cultural institutions and have museum collections on display. Cooperation between the institutions that administer the castles was established on the initiative of the individual institutions and is in line with Municipality of Ljubljana’s cultural development strategy. Although the intention of the cooperation between the institutions is to link them into a whole.
Thanks for your attention!
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