The permanent exhibition entitled “History of Christianity in Slovenia”, which is located on the second floor of the museum, is the first exhibition of its kind in Slovenia. It is chronologically organised in twelve exhibition rooms. It acquaints visitors with the beginnings of Christianity in Slovenia in the third century and takes them on a 1700-year journey through history that ends in the jubilee year 2000.
The first two rooms present Christianity in late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages (third to eleventh century). The visitor is acquainted with the beginnings of Christianity in Slovenia and learns about Bishop Victorinus of Poetovio, Bishop Modestus and the brothers Cyril and Methodius. The most prominent exhibits are an original bronze fibula from the fourth century and a facsimile of the Freising Manuscripts, which were written between 972 and 1039.
The room next door features a display on the Middle Ages (twelfth to fourteenth century) and the establishment of the permanent Church structure in Slovenia at that time. A network of original parishes was established and the first monasteries were founded. Visitors can learn about the earliest monastic orders in Slovenia: the Benedictines, Cistercians, Knights Hospitaller, Teutonic Knights, Poor Clares, Dominicans, Augustinians and others.
In the room dedicated to the fifteenth century the main emphasis is on the Turkish raids, the emergence of towns and the founding of the mendicant orders. Two important events marking Christianity in Slovenia were the founding of the Ljubljana diocese (1461–1462) and the collegiate chapter in Novo Mesto (1493–1494). The main exhibits in the room are two Gothic frescoes and a stained glass window by Johannes de Laybaco and several statues from that period.
The sixteenth century is marked by the spread of the Reformation and Protestantism and the efforts of Protestant preachers to introduce the Slovene language into the liturgy. Visitors can learn about the most important Protestant writers (Primož Trubar, Sebastijan Krelj, Adam Bohorič and Jurij Dalmatin). The main exhibit is the facsimile of Dalmatin’s Bible in the Slovene language (1584).
The next room takes us to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the period of Counter-Reformation and the Restoration of the Church. After the Council of Trent (1545–1563) the restoration of the Catholic Church also took place in Slovenia. The most important protagonists of the Catholic restoration were the Jesuit and Capuchin monks, who began their activities in Slovenia at that time. The most notable exhibit is the Gabrče Chasuble from the seventeenth century.
The blossoming of Baroque art and reforms of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II are presented in the next room. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries many new churches were constructed and furnished in the new Baroque fashion. The reign of Joseph II brought many reforms to the Catholic Church: the restructuring of dioceses, abolition of folk piety, dissolution of most monasteries and so on. In the early eighteenth century the Ursuline nuns arrived in Slovenia and founded the first girls’ schools in the country. Here you can see Baroque sculptures and Valentin Metzinger’s painting of St Nicholas.
The next room is dedicated to the nineteenth century. The main topics are the Revolutions of 1848 and the Slovene national awakening. During this time, most changes took place in the Maribor Archdiocese under the guidance of Bishop Anton Martin Slomšek (1800–1862). Visitors can also learn about other important national leaders who came from the ranks of the Catholic Church (Matija Majar Ziljski, Anton Korošec, Janez Evangelist Krek etc.).
The last exhibition room depicts the twentieth century and mainly addresses the events of the First and Second World War, social changes and the Republic of Slovenia’s independence. The most important exhibit in the room is Franc Dolinar’s First Mass chalice, which was designed by the leading twentieth-century Slovene architect, Jože Plečnik.
A special room is dedicated to various forms of folk piety, including setting up the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre on Good Friday and pilgrimages to various destinations in Slovenia and abroad. Many believers offered various votive items to the Blessed Virgin and the saints and brought back home souvenirs such as images, rosaries, figurines and candles.
