Description of the attraction
The Seminary Palace is a landmark on the right bank of Ljubljana. It is located near the Bishop's Palace and very close to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The old town has long become a pedestrian zone where you can leisurely admire all of its architectural masterpieces, for which the capital of Slovenia is often referred to as Prague in miniature. Among the beautiful European castles, thanks to which Ljubljana received this flattering epithet, is the Seminary Palace.
A whole galaxy of talented Italians worked on its creation at the beginning of the 18th century. The author of the project, architect Carlo Martinuzzi, created the Palace in the late Italian Baroque style. The entrance is decorated with a portal with stone reliefs created in the workshop of the famous stone master Luka Mysleya. The beautiful statues on the sides of the portal were designed by sculptor Angelo Putti. His statues have only darkened over three centuries, but this gives them nobility. Over time, extensions were added to the building, the authorship of which remained with the Italians. Thanks to this, a solid Baroque ensemble has turned out, which perfectly fits into the architecture of the old city. The exterior decor is invariably impressive. Equally valuable in terms of craftsmanship is the interior of the Palace. The main hall is decorated with a ceiling painting by the Italian painter Giulio Quaglio. These stunningly beautiful frescoes called "Allegory of Theology" were created in 1721. From the 18th century, solid oak furniture has been preserved, made especially for the library, which is located in the Palace.
It is the first public library in Slovenia, also founded at the beginning of the 18th century. Even apart from medieval manuscripts, incunabula and numerous rare editions, the library, in the Baroque interior, itself is an adornment of Ljubljana and the whole country.
Currently, the library is no longer public, it is the property of the seminary.
