Explore Slovene Museum of Christianity

In 1136 a Cistercian monastery was founded in Stična. The operation of the Stična Abbey strongly influenced the life and image of many places in the Lower Carniola region. Fields, forests, vineyards, mills, ponds, churches on the hills and roadside signs are still presenting a typical image of a cultural landscape that has formed over the centuries under the influence of Cistercian monks. The cultural landscape of the Stična Abbey is one of 17 Cistercian landscapes, connected by the European Cisterscapes project through research and presentation.

In order to bring this beautiful world of the hidden Cistercian cultural landscape closer to all who live here, we invited local students to explore it as well.

24 students of Veliki Gaber Primary School, Stična Primary School and Zagradec Branch School joined the project under the mentorship of their history teachers Mr. Jani Strnad, Mrs. Tina Finc and Mr. Andrej Oberstar.

The main purpose of the research was to encourage students to recognize the heritage of the Cistercians in their hometowns, to acknowledge how great the influence of the monks from Stična was and how it still shows today.

With their research assignments, the students outlined the entire history of the Stična monastery and its activities in the economic and religious field. In their home landscape they found old homesteads, castles, mansions, and churches that belonged to the Stična church territory. They also collected numerous oral testimonies about cistercian influence. These show how strongly Cistercians are still present in the consciousness of the locals.

In Slovene Museum of Christianity we are happy to present the results of the research of the participating students through occasional exhibitions. The exhibition "Cistercians in my hometown" is a wonderful testimony to the influence of Stična monks on the landscape which we live in.

The panel exhibition will be on display at the museum until 30th of September 2021.

You are kindly invited!