The Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul in Vitanje

The Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul in Vitanje is a unique example of a parish church, the so called winter church.

Fees:

Visit to the church is free of charge

Working hours:

The church is open at all times.

The Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul is unique, not only in its appearance, which gives away its old age from afar.  As the parish church in Vitanje, it gives space to regular worship all the way from the All Saints to Easter and it is therefore called the winter church.

The equal creator of the parish is the summer church, where worship is moved from Easter onwards until the All Saints: The Church of Holy Mother of God on Hriberca.

Worship, according to the seasons, is a long-lasting unique tradition in Vitanje.

When you visit the Church of St. Peter and Paul, do not overlook:

  • Although it was mentioned as the centre of spirituality in 1296, it can be stated with certainty that the original church was built some 250 years earlier, in the 11th century. The basis of today's church is Romanesque from the 13th century, and in the 15th century it was characterized by a Gothic appearance.
  • Its murals, which can be easily placed amongst the most expressive works of early Gothic drawing style from the first half of the 14th century in Slovenia, are especially valuable. The image of St. Christopher is really well preserved. The images from Mary's life are really special.
  • The four altars from the 60's of the 17th century are a jewel of the Renaissance carving with paintings from the same period.
  • The old church was supposedly destroyed by the earthquake in 1201, which can be noticed in the Romanesque nave from the early 13th century.