Stična Abbey (, also ; , Latin: ''Sitticum'') is the oldest

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. It is the only

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monastery in the country still operating (the other was Kostanjevica Abbey in

Kostanjevica na Krki Kostanjevica na Krki (; also ''Kostanjevica ob Krki,'' ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 68.) is a small town in the historic Lower Ca ...

). Its mother house was Rein Abbey in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

History

The abbey foundation charter was issued in 1136 by Pellegrinus I,

Patriarch of Aquileia This is a list of bishops and patriarchs of Aquileia in northeastern Italy. For the ecclesiastical history of the diocese, see Patriarchate of Aquileia. From 553 until 698 the archbishops renounced Papal authority as part of the Schism of the T ...

, although monastic life had begun a year earlier, in 1135. The monastery at Stična quickly became an important religious, cultural, and economic centre. In addition to an ordinary school, the monastery also operated a music school, where the Renaissance composer

Jacobus Gallus Jacobus Gallus (a.k.a. Jacob(us) Handl, Jacob(us) Händl; between 15 April and 31 July 155018 July 1591) was a late-Renaissance composer of presumed Slovene ethnicity.Skei/Pokorn, Grove online Born in Carniola, which at the time was one of the ...

is believed to have received his earliest musical education. The successful life of the monastery was hampered by Ottoman raids, and was burned and looted twice. In 1784 Emperor

Joseph II Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Emperor F ...

abolished the monastery, dissolved under the Josephine Reforms, but it was resettled again in 1898 by monks from Mehrerau Abbey on the shore of

Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Partisans Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Itali ...

use the abbey as a prison for priests that they had captured.

Stična manuscript

The monastery's scriptorium was already producing illuminated Latin manuscripts in the 12th century, and it was here that the Stična manuscript, written in Slovene, was produced in the 15th century.

Architecture

In terms of architecture, abbey has been repeatedly modified, leaving Romanesque and Gothic traces in

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

buildings. The oldest core of the abbey has been preserved. The abbey has a basilica dedicated to

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...

, which serves as a parish church. The abbey and Romanesque basilica are recognized as cultural monuments of national significance.

List of abbots

Gallery

Stična Abbey VP05.jpg, From the north Stična Abbey VP01.jpg, Inner yard Stična Abbey VP04.jpg, Inner yard Stična Abbey VP02.jpg, Refectory Stična Abbey VP03.jpg, Cloister

Institutions and festivities related to the abbey

They abbey at one point had a high school inside, at the present there is a Museum of Christianity and a parish of Stična. Every year there is a cultural youth festivity called Stična mladih.

Museum of Christianity in Slovenia

The Museum is state owned and serves as a central museum institution on the topic of sacral heritage. Collectarium

Sitik d.o.o.

Abbey of Stična made a part of the economical tourism and herbalic pharmacy available to the laymen. A small teahouse with kindergarten toys and tourist shop is pretty. Pharmacy of late cistercian

herbalist Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

Simon Ašič has become an important reminder of the gardening that was a traditional occupancy of the monks. Sittik d.o.o. handles even some serious gardening and nourishes on 4000 m2 about 250.000 room plants every year.

Festival Stična mladih

Festival Stična mladih is a yearly event where about 8000 young people come to have fun. The entire program in mostly organized and led by young people from Slovenia. The event was inspired by the World Youth Day, theme of a festival is copied from the theme of the World Youth Day, even the program of the festival is inspired by the Popes message to the young.

Stiška gimnazija, Gymnasium of Stična

Josip Jurčič Josip Jurčič (4 March 1844 – 3 May 1881) was a Slovene writer and journalist. He was born in Muljava, Austrian Empire (now part of the municipality of Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia)Levec, Fran. 1881. Josip Jurčič. ''Ljubljanski zvon'' 1(6) ...

High School was founded in 1945 as an incomplete high school. In 1946 the teachings began in the abbey. The School became complete in 1950, but more than once existence of the school was questionable. In 1970 school got the name after the known local writer and journalist. In 1980 Municipality of Grosuplje decided to move away from the Abbey in to bigger quarters. In June 1984 the last generation of students who were taught in the abbey concluded their high school education.

References

Sources

* Jože Mlinarič, ''Stiška opatija 1136-1784, Novo mesto 1995'', Dolenjska založba * Ivan Stopar, ''Hrami tišine'', Ljubljana 2009, Viharnik * Vanja Požegar, ''Cistercijani in nastanek cisterc na Slovenskem'', Maribor 2009, bachelor's thesis * http://cistercijani.sticna.si/ * http://sticna.rkc.si/sl/ * http://sitik.si/ * Bahor, Stanislav: "Skriti knjižni zakladi" Ljubljana, NUK, 2009 * Trnovšek, Tadej: "Zaklad pisarja Bernarda" Stična, Muzej krščanstva na Slovenskem, 2011 * Golob, Nataša: "Srednjeveški kodeksi iz Stične: XII. stoletje", Ljubljana, Slovenska knjiga, 1994

External pages

Stična Abbey

Stična Youth Festival

National and University Library of Slovenia.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sticna abbey Christian monasteries in Slovenia Cistercian monasteries Municipality of Ivančna Gorica Monasteries used as prisons