Church of St Martin

Visit the neo-Gothic church with a rich history and pieces made by the greatest masters of Slovenian architecture and art.

Parish church in Bled

The first chapel at the place of St Martin's Church was built before the year 1000. The current neo-Gothic church was built in 1905 at the site of the former Gothic church from the 15th century. It was initially planned that the new church would be built according to the plans of Prof Friedrich von Schmidt, the author of the city hall in Vienna, but the church's interior was completely altered by architect Josip pl. Vancaš. Restorer Janez Vurnik from Radovljica also contributed to the artistic interior, since he designed most plastic pieces in the church and made them from the best Carrara marble.

The artistic and architectural pieces in the church and its surroundings feature various styles and periods. The interior of the church was painted with frescoes from 1932 to 1937 by academic painter Slavko Pengov. Before the Second World War, the greatest Slovenian architect, Jože Plečnik, designed the garden wayside shrine that stands in front of the church. The preserved walls of the church date back to the 15th century and remind us of the times of Turks invasions.

© Jošt Gantar

Slavko Pengov and Jože Plečnik

Slavko Pengov was a Slovenian painter from Ljubljana, known especially as the painter with the most extensive collection of wall paintings in the 20th century in Slovenia. He studied in Zagreb and Vienna, and also lectured at the Academy of Visual Arts in Ljubljana. He created in various techniques and his works were realistic. Besides frescoes in the parish church in Bled, he also made the 52-metre fresco in Vila Bled.

Jože Plečnik was the greatest Slovenian architect born in Ljubljana. He created many famous buildings in Ljubljana, such as the National and University Library, the Triple Bridges, arcades with the city market and fish market, and Žale (city cemetery), he also created many works in Vienna and Prague. Besides the garden wayside shrine in front of the church, he also designed Kavarna Belvedere in Bled.

Experience

  • Admire the magnificent Gothic architecture of the church and its frescoes.
  • See the garden wayside shrine in front of the church.
  • Attend holy mass and occasional concerts at the church.

Worth visiting

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