The monastery in Stic^na is near Ivanc^na gorica, about 30 kilometers east-southeast of Ljubljana, Slovenia, off the road leading to Zagreb.
Only some thirty years after the creation of the Cistercian Order (1098), the Abbey of Stic^na, the oldest monastery on present-day Slovenian territory, was started in 1132, nestled in hillocks of Dolenjska (Lower Carniola). It was officially established by Patriarch Peregrin of Aquileia, a competent bishop whose influence extended to Burgundy, the original country of the Cistercians. The first monks, along with the builder Michael, came to Stic^na from there.
The thumbnails below are links to full-size pictures of how the monastery appeared during the romanesque period.
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| Romanesque Model | Church Foundation | Drawing of Church |
Many aristocratic benefactors donated rich presents to the monastery during the following centuries. However, the monastery was severely damaged by the Turkish invasions in the second half of the 15th century. In the 17th century the monastery experienced great development.
In the late 17th century, J. V. Valvasor produced three views of the monastery. Click on the thumbnails for larger graphics.
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Topographia Ducatus Carnioliae Modernae, page 240, 1679. |
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Die Ehre des Herzogthums Krain, Book VIII page 730, Nürnberg, 1689. |
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Die Ehre des Herzogthums Krain, Book XI Between pages 530 & 531, Nürnberg, 1689. |
However, on 6 October 1784, during the "Enlightenment", the monastery was dissolved by Emperor Joseph II. After its renewal in 1898, regular monastic life started again. Today, in spite of the smaller number of monks, Stic^na is alive and developing into an important cultural center.
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For a pictorial tour of the monastery, click on this 19th century map of the grounds. |
These Web pages were assembled by Dr. David F. Stermole with text
adapted/translated from and pictures scanned from the following sources:
Zadnikar, Dr. Marijan. Stic^na: Znamenitosti najstarejs^ega slovenskega samostana, Druz^ina, Ljubljana, 1990.
Zadnikar, Dr. Marjan. Vodnik po stis^kem samostanu, Cistercijanska opatija, Stic^na, 1991.
Zadnikar, Dr. Marjan. A Guide Through the Monastery of Stic^na, Cistercian Abbey, Stic^na,
1991.
Please send your comments to Dr. David F. Stermole.
Created 10 August 1997
Last Modified 9 July 2000