The Križanke Outdoor Theatre (''Poletno gledališče Križanke'') is a theatre in

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

, used for summer festivals set up inside the courtyard of the former Monastery of the Holy Cross. It is located at French Revolution Square (''Trg francoske revolucije'') no. 1. It was created by

Jože Plečnik Jože Plečnik () (23 January 1872 – 7 January 1957) was a Slovene architect who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, most notably by designing the iconic Triple Bridge an ...

in the 1950s within the confiscated former monastery especially for the Ljubljana Festival and the Secondary School for Design and Photography. Ljubljana Festival holds major events on the open-air stage, while other venues include the Baroque-style Križanke Church, the Knights' Hall (''Viteška dvorana'') and the Devil's Courtyard (''Peklensko dvorišče''). The amphitheatre-like southern courtyard with its large retractable canopy has since proved to be a superb venue for classical, jazz, and rock concerts. The venue is managed by the Festival Ljubljana Public Institute and is available for hire. The part of the former monastery premises, which is occupied by the Secondary School for Design and Photography, is used to host students interested in photography, graphics design, fashion, industrial arts and an art gymnasium. Because of the lack of space the school is also based on another location, on Roška cesta 2.

History

Construction of the original Monastery of the Order of Teutonic Knights at Križanke is believed to have commenced in 1228. The

1511 Idrija earthquake The 1511 Idrija earthquake ( sl, Idrijski potres) occurred on March 26 with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). The epicenter was around the town of Idrija in present-day Slovenia, although some place it some 15-20 kilometers to th ...

severely damaged the monastery buildings and they were partly rebuilt between 1567 and 1579. The original church was completely rebuilt in Baroque style between 1714 and 1715; it was designed by Venetian architect Domenico Rossi in a shape of a Greek cross, and was the first church of its kind in Slovenia. It has an ornate exterior and the gate area is accentuated with pilasters and a distinctive undulating dome. Slovene masters participated in the building process, including Gregor Maček Sr., who designed the current city hall. The

City Museum of Ljubljana The City Museum of Ljubljana ( sl, Mestni muzej Ljubljana) was established in 1935. It is housed in Turjak Palace at 15 Gentry Street () in the centre of Ljubljana. The museum offers various pedagogical activities for children and students betwee ...

keeps the original model of this church. The Knight's Hall was also built during the 18th century. Križanke continued to serve as a monastery until 1945, when the complex was nationalised. In 1952 representatives of the city of Ljubljana asked the architect

to remodel the now derelict monastery into a venue for Ljubljana Festival. Plečnik's last major contribution to the city (the works were completed in 1956) transformed the empty monastery into an open-air theatre and festival space. The complex's original Gothic details were gradually subsumed by Renaissance and Baroque elements, as can be seen in the main courtyard, which features shallow archways and exuberantly-coloured

sgraffiti ''Sgraffito'' (; plural: ''sgraffiti'') is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colours to a moistened surface, or in pottery, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive laye ...

Music performances and festivals

A variety of musical performances take place at the Križanke, including Druga Godba, a festival of alternative and world music, from late May to early June.Steve Fallon Lonely Planet Slovenia 2010 Page 88 "Druga Godba (http://festival.drugagodba.si), a festival of alternative and world music, takes place in the Križanke from late May to early June."

References

External links

Ljubljana Festival websiteAbout Jože PlečnikApocalyptica in Križanke - article from ''Beat a go go'', and interview with Perttu KivilaaksoDruga Godba website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krizanke Buildings and structures in Ljubljana Jože Plečnik buildings Center District, Ljubljana Buildings and structures completed in 1956 20th-century architecture in Slovenia