St. Michael's Church (Črna Vas)

Church of St. Michael
Cerkev sv. Mihaela
Basic information
Location Črna Vas, Slovenia
Geographic coordinates 46°00′44.49″N 14°30′21.26″E / 46.0123583°N 14.5059056°E / 46.0123583; 14.5059056Coordinates: 46°00′44.49″N 14°30′21.26″E / 46.0123583°N 14.5059056°E / 46.0123583; 14.5059056
Affiliation Roman Catholic
District Archdiocese of Ljubljana
Year consecrated 1940
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Cathedral
Website www.zupnijabarje.si/plecnikova-cerkev-sv-mihaela.html
Architectural description
Architect(s) Jože Plečnik
Architectural type Church
Completed 1939
Specifications
Length 23.30 m
Width 13.30 m
Spire(s) 1

Church of St. Michael in Črna Vas is dedicated to Saint Michael and is also known as the Church of St. Michael in the Marsh (Slovene: Cerkev sv. Mihaela na Barju).[1] It is a parish church and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana. It is one of the prominent works of 20th-century Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik and is listed in the Register of intangible cultural heritage of Slovenia.[2]

History

The church was commissioned on behalf of Trnovo parish, with support of the parish priest and writer Fran Saleški Finžgar. In 1922, Finžgar asked his neighbour Plečnik to prepare some plans for the church.[3] The task proved challenging due to the soft ground of the Ljubljana Marshes. Initial plans were scrapped due to extensive floods and economic recession in the 1920s, however, Plečnik prepared new plans in 1935. Finžgar retired in 1936 and the organizational tasks were took over by Karel Matkovič, Plečnik's nephew. Following some initial disagreements with local landowners, the construction begun in 1937. The construction site specifics called for some innovative solutions by Plečnik. The soft grounds required the church to be built on supports rammed into the mud. In addition, the bell-tower was constructed separately from the main building and its weight was reduced by arched openings.[4] The church aisle itself is elevated, with a staricase leading to it. The basement is occupied by classrooms and priest's living quarters.[1] Due to budget constraints, Plečnik used local materials, such as the stone from the nearby Podpeč quarry and timber, donated by the locals. Plečnik only used stone for the central part and for the four corners, while he used concrete sewer pipes and timber to fill in the empty spaces.[3] He also used concrete roof tiles.[1] The church was completed in 1939 and consecrated in 1940 by Ljubljana's bishop Gregorij Rožman.[5]

The sanctuary has an unusual orientation – the altar is placed on the longer side of the nave, thereby reducing the distance between the priest and the church-goers. This is the approach that Plečnik also took at the Church of St. Francis in Ljubljana. With the main altar placed almost in the centre, Plečnik preceded the principles set by the Second Vatican Council by several decades, bringing a new design to the sanctuary.[4]

Today, the church is considered as one of Plečnik's masterpieces and is, together with his other works, listed on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as The timeless, humanistic architecture of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana and Prague.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Arhitekturni vodnik". Arhitekturni vodnik. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  2. ↑ "OPIS ENOTE NEPREMIČNE KULTURNE DEDIŠČINE". Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  3. 1 2 Avtor: Damjan Prelovšek. "Cerkev sv. Mihaela na Ljubljanskem barju | Umetnostnozgodovinski inštitut Franceta Steleta". Uifs.zrc-sazu.si. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  4. 1 2 3 UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2015-01-30). "The timeless, humanistic architecture of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana and Prague - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  5. ↑ Župnija Ljubljana Barje. "Cerkev Sv. Mihaela". Zupnijabarje.si. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
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