Franciscan Church of the Annunciation
The Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, as the name suggests, is a Franciscan church based on Prešeren Square in the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Its red color is the symbol of the Franciscan monastic order. Since 2008, the church has been protected as a cultural monument of national significance in Slovenia.
Built between 1646 and 1660 (later followed by the bell towers), it replaced an older church on the same site. The early Baroque layout took the form of a basilica with one nave and two rows of side chapels. The Baroque main altar was made by the sculptor Francesco Robba. Many of the original frescoes were damaged by the cracks in the ceiling caused by the Ljubljana earthquake in 1895. The new frescoes were painted by the Slovene impressionist painter Matej Sternen in 1936.
The church's front facade was built in the Baroque style from 1703 to 1706 and redesigned in the 19th century. It consists of two parts, featuring pilasters with the Ionic capitals in the lower part and pilasters with Corinthian capitals in the upper part. The sides of the upper part are decorated with volutes and at the top of the front facade is the statue of Our Lady of Loretto, i.e. Madonna with Child. It was made of beaten copper by Matej Schreiner according to a plan drawn up by Franz Kurz zum Thurn und Goldenstein. The faces and hands were modeled by Franc Ksaver Zajec. The statue substituted an older wooden statue of a Black Madonna in 1858. The facade also consists of three niches with sculptures of God the Father above the main stone portal, and in the side niches are an angel and the Virgin Mary, work by the Baroque sculptor Paolo Callalo. In front of the church, there is a stone entrance staircase. The wooden door with reliefs of women's heads originates from the 19th century.
Next to the church, located next to Prešeren Square between Čop Street, Nazor Street, and Miklosich Street, there is a Franciscan Monastery from the 13th century. The monastery is notable for its library, containing more than 70,000 books, including many incunabula and medieval manuscripts. Established in 1233, the monastery was first located at Vodnik Square, then was moved to the present location during the Josephine reforms of the late 18th century.
Location: Prešeren Square, Ljubljana
