Plečnik’s bedroom: the austere spirit of the Slovenian master
Purchased in 1915 by the three Plečnik brothers, the house eventually became the architect’s own home. Plečnik modified the building according to his characteristic architectural philosophy, impregnated by modesty and rationality (use of inexpensive materials and a variety of techniques).

National University Library: the temple of knowledge, designed by Jože Plečnik (1936-1941).
This is certainly one of his masterpieces, if not his most achieved work. The rustic stone decorating the façade creates a powerful graphic image; some of the blocks of stone are actually archaeological remains from the earlier edifices previously built on the site.

National University Library: the reading room
A striking combination of historicist interpretation (the medieval inspiration of the ceiling lamps) and of functional elements (large windows, suspended passage for the service, etc.) reminding industrial aesthetics of the 19th century.

Ljubljanica
A view of the river separating the old town from the new one

The City hall square: harmony and variety
Two highly interesting buildings are facing the city hall (first gothic building from the 1484, baroque palace from the 18th century by Gregor Maček):
-The white façade of the Souvan house was designed by the Friulian Francesco Coconi, in the second quarter of the 19th century. The rich decoration and the sculptural reliefs representing Agriculture, Art and Trade, are among the best examples of the Biedermayer style in Ljubljana.
-The black building is the Drofenig House (Karl Brünnler, 1914). Commissioned by Franc Drofenig, owner of a trading company, it was first designed as a department store. This was the first edifice in Ljubljana with an entirely reinforced concrete skeleton framework.

The Market by Jože Plečnik (1940-1942): a classical design for a utilitarian place
Plečnik used the medieval town to insert the market in the urban space, along the river, thus forming a link between the old city centre and the development of the new neighbourhood on the other side of the Ljubljanica.

The Seminary Library (1725; Giulio Quaglio, painter, and Josip Wergant, master carpenter):
a masterpiece of Baroque.
This was the first public library in Ljubljana, founded in 1701. In 1725, the library was installed in the southwest of the building and has been splendidly decorated

Ljudska posojilnica Building (People’s loan Bank - Josip Vancaš, 1907):
a perfect example of Secessionist architecture in Ljubljana.
The edifice reminds one Otto Wagner and the Viennese lesson in general.

Cooperative Bank, Ivan Vurnik (1922):
a masterpiece of the Slovenian “National style” Its façade is entirely decorated with motifs inspired by the folk art, painted in vivid contrasted colors.

The Hall of the Cooperative Bank
A fresco decorating the hall of the bank, which is currently restored. The fresco is the work of Vurnik’s wife, Helena Vurnik.

Dukić Housing Complex, by Jože Sivec (1935-1936)
Financed by a pension fund, the office and residential complex was built on the place of demolished buildings in open system. A good illustration of the Slovenian interwar Modernism.

Cultural and Congress Centre in Republic Square, Edvard Ravnikar (1982-1983)
The complex illustrates the permeability of the Yugoslavian political ideology, which accepted architectural schemes influenced by the Western post-war Modernism

 
Zale Cemetery, by Jože Plečnik(1938-1940) : the “City of the Dead”
Situated outside Ljubljana, the cemetery is formed of a dozen of chapels, related to the parish churches of the capital. Each chapel is different; the ensemble forms a summary of architectural styles, from Doric to Romanesque:

Kamnik, the medieval town.
The urban structure of the old town is seen from the Romanesque chapel

Fortified church of Hrasovlje (12th – 14th centuries)
Situated on a hill above the village, the church has been fortified against the Turk attacks. Its high tower dominates the landscape.

A fragment of the famous fresco of the Macabre Dance (end of the 15th century, by Johannes de Castuo):
a typical theme invoking the pest, current at that time all around catholic Europe.

EAHN at Piran
Gathered around Stanko Kokole, our guide, we all listen to him attentively, in spite of the blazing sun

On our way to Koper, a last glimpse of Piran, seen from the boat where we had lunch
The Italian influence is obvious in this scenic city of the Adriatic coast, reminding the time when it was part of the Republic of Venice.

Stanko explains us the history of Da Ponte Fountain in Koper