A courtyard view of a historic monastery complex featuring a brick and stone building with a red tiled roof, an arched cloister walkway, and a large tree on a grassy lawn under a blue sky.

CC0 • Photo by Janezdrilc via Wikimedia Commons

Cistercian monastery

Q: When was the Cistercian monastery in Kostanjevica na Krki founded?

The monastery was founded in the early 13th century by Duke Bernhard von Spanheim.

Q: Where is the monastery located in relation to the town?

The monastery is situated on a peaceful plain near the Krka River, located just outside the picturesque island town of Kostanjevica na Krki, which is often referred to as the 'Venice of Lower Carniola.' It is nestled between the Gorjanci hills and the surrounding marshlands.

Q: What architectural features can visitors expect to see inside the monastery?

Visitors can admire the monastery's impressive architecture, which includes sturdy stone walls and serene cloisters that reflect the Cistercian order's emphasis on simplicity and harmony with nature.

Q: What types of cultural activities or events are held at the monastery?

The monastery often hosts art exhibitions and concerts, highlighting its ongoing role in the community and celebrating the region's cultural heritage.

Q: Is the monastery a significant historical site?

Yes, the monastery is recognized as a cultural and historical monument, serving as a testament to Slovenia’s medieval heritage and spiritual history.

13th-century Cistercian monastery on Krka River island

#2 of 7 in Kostanjevica na Krki

Where: Kostanjevica na Krki, Dolenjska
Directions: Directions

The Cistercian monastery in Kostanjevica na Krki, known in Latin as Fons Sanctae Mariae, the Spring of St Mary, was founded in 1234 by Bernhard of Spanheim, Duke of Carinthia, and it grew into one of the largest and most important monasteries in the Slovene lands. It stands on the edge of the small island town of Kostanjevica, on the Krka river in Lower Carniola, in a landscape of flat river meadows with the Gorjanci hills behind. The Cistercians were a reforming order that favoured simple, austere buildings and settled in quiet, often marshy places, which they drained and farmed, and this site matches that pattern closely.

The monastery was for several centuries a centre of religion, farming and learning. The monks worked the surrounding land, kept a library and ran a school, and the abbey church was one of the grandest in the region, a large three-aisled building with a long nave. The complex passed through many changes: it was damaged by the Ottoman raids of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, rebuilt, and given Baroque additions, before being dissolved at the end of the eighteenth century, when Emperor Joseph II closed many monasteries across the Habsburg lands. After that, the buildings were used for a variety of purposes, and the complex fell into disrepair until restoration in the twentieth century.

Today the monastery has found a new life as a cultural centre. Its cloisters, halls and church are used for exhibitions, concerts and events, and the complex houses the Božidar Jakac Art Museum, which presents the work of one of the best-known Slovene graphic artists, as well as a collection linked to the Forma Viva sculpture project, in which large wooden sculptures have been carved in the oak forests nearby since the early 1960s. Walking through the cloisters, you can see the thick stone walls and plain vaults that reflect the Cistercian ideal of restraint, and the grounds give a sense of the order's relationship with the land.

The monastery is the main sight in Kostanjevica, but the surroundings offer more. Cerkev Sv. Jakoba, the parish church of St James, stands in the town centre, and Kostanjevica Cave and the Krakovo Forest, known for its ancient oaks, including the Cvelbar Oak, lie nearby. Romarska is a further stop for visitors who want to explore on foot. Opening arrangements vary by season and by event, so check locally before visiting.