Žička kartuzija

HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE CARTHUSIAN ORDER

The founder of the Carthusian religious community was the monk, Saint Bruno (born in Cologne and studied in Reims), who, with two like-minded people, withdrew into solitude to live according to the Gospel. Bruno was soon abandoned by his comrades, and was later joined by six other men who were striving for the same goals. With the help of the Bishop of Grenoble, Hugo, they found a suitable place in the wild alpine valley above Grenoble in 1084, where they lived and prayed in complete solitude. Named after the rocky cliffs, the monastic settlement was called Charteux – Cartusia.

Since the founding of the first Carthusian monastery in 1084, their number grew to 201 in 1500. They were scattered throughout Europe, most of them in France. In the current Slovenian territory, the Carthusians established four stations:

• Žiče – founded around 1160
• Jurklošter – founded around 1170
• Bistra near Vrhnika – founded around 1260
• Pleterje – founded around 1403

FOUNDING OF ŽIČKA KARTUZIJA

We do not know the exact date of the founding of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery, but it was certainly created between 1155 and 1165, when its founding charter was written. Historians disagree on the first years of the monastery by the Žičnica, but all recognise Otakar III. Traungavec, the Styrian border count and his son Otakar IV, the first Styrian duke, as the founders of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery.

It is not entirely clear why Otakar III. decided on the then unknown monks – the Carthusians. He certainly met them in France and Italy, where they already had their outposts. It must have occurred to him on his travels to invite  the sons of St. Bruno to his borderlands.

Otakar initially had problems with the approval of the settlement of Carthusians in Lower Styria. In France and Italy, the Carthusians already had 18 regular settlements, and Žiče would be the first such settlement outside the traditional lands in which order was first established. Despite the initial difficulties, he eventually succeeded. When the first Carthusians came to the valley, the settlement of Žiče certainly already existed. Initially, the monastery did not have a name, only the valley of the Žičnica was named after the patron saint of the Carthusian church, St. John the Baptist. Later, the monastery was named Žička Kartuzija, after the nearby village of Žiče.

Otakar III died during the construction of the monastery (31st December 1146), so his son Otakar IV successfully continued his father’s work. He was a great benefactor of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery and ensured its existence. In addition to the monks, many Styrian nobles and other nobles were buried in the Carthusian monastery. The founder, Otakar III, also found his last peace in the monastery, together with his wife Kunigunda and their son Otakar IV. Until 1827, all three lay in the tomb of the chapel, built on the right side of the single-nave monastery church. Some members of the Konjice family and nobles Žovneški, later of Celje, are also buried in the monastery.

LEGEND OF THE CREATION OF THE ŽIČE CARTHUSIAN MONASTERY

The legend of the founding of Žiče Monastery has been preserved and has two versions. According to the first, the border count Otakar III supposedly began establishing the Carthusian monastery after returning from the war. As Otakar wanted to relax from his worries, he went hunting on Konjiška mountain with other noblemen. He distanced himself from the other hunters and came to the shadowy hollows on the south side of the mountain, where he suddenly saw a hind of extraordinary whiteness. In pursuit of the beautiful animal, the count came to the place where the Carthusian monastery stands today, but at that time there was nothing but exceptional nature and powerful energy. When the animal disappeared, Otakar got off his horse and lay under a nearby tree to relax and take a quick nap. In his slumber, he saw an illusion – a man who shone brighter than the sun and was dressed in camel skin. The stranger introduced himself as John the Baptist and ordered the count to build a monastery where he had fallen asleep. John the Baptist ordered him to settle the Carthusians in it, who, led by St. Bruno, founded the Great Carthusian Monastery in the French Alps. Otakar assured the saint that he would do so, and then the apostle disappeared. Meanwhile, the count’s entourage approached with dogs chasing a rabbit. The animal took refuge in the nobleman’s lap, as if seeking shelter with him. The yelling of the hunters and the rabbit awakened Otakar from his sleep and he exclaimed in Slovenian: “Rabbit, look at the rabbit!” That is why Count Otakar called this place Zajec (rabbit in Slovenian), and German-speaking people called it Seitz. The locals still call the monastery “Zajcklošter” (rabbit monastery).

According to another form of  legend, Otakar is said to have started the construction of a monastery in Konjice. Namely, the Count found that the place chosen by John the Baptist for the monastery was too small and therefore he chose a different spot at the northern foot of Konjiška mountain. Otakar acquired the estate for the construction of the settlement from Leopold of Konjice and had almost finished building a monastery with a church. At that time, however, a saint appeared to the count again and rebuked him, claiming that he had set up the Carthusian monastery in a place different from the one commanded. He ordered Otakar to remove the monasterybut to leave the church standing, which should become a parish church, and the town of Konjice should belong to the monastery. Otakar fulfilled the second command of the saint and built a Carthusian monastery where the saint first appeared to him. Count Otakar found his last peace in the monastery. He was buried together with his wife in the sacristy of the church, at the place where John the Baptist first revealed himself to him. His grave was covered with white marble.

MONASTIC RULES

The Žiče Carthusian Monastery was originally built on the model of the French Carthusian Monasteries, which had very strict rules. At the head of the monastery society was a prior who lived in the upper monastery, and in the lower monastery housing the lay brothers, the work was managed by a procurato – a caretaker.

12 monks lived in the upper monastery, where there were 13 cells, , and were very educated for the time. In addition to the cottage, each had a workshop and a small garden. They had a very strict order. About one third of the day was set for verbal prayer, another for reflection and the third for manual work. The monks of the upper monastery woke at midnight in the summer, and about two hours later in the winter. At noon, each made a modest lunch. The fasts were strict at first, the food was simple. They did not consume meat other than fish. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday there was fasting with bread and water. There was silence in the upper monastery for the most part. On Saturdays, they met to discuss necessary issues and to make any confessions. The white dress of the Carthusians was simple, made of hemp canvas in summer and white wool in winter. Around their backs they wore a pointed vest, over that a long habit (a robe reaching down to their ankles), and then a scapular on their shoulders – a length of cloth falling over the chest and back.

In the lower monastery (Špitalič), the procurator managed the entire economy, supervised the brothers (laymen) and welcomed guests. The lay people could not write, they cultivated the land, raised livestock and worked with the necessary handicrafts. When it came to food, they had less fasting because they had to work hard.

Over the centuries, the once strict Carthusian order became more relaxed in the Žiče Monastery. The humble and quiet monastery became the seat of a mighty holder of vast estates and many subjects. The Charterhouse became rich, but weakened within. The Turks repeatedly destroyed estates, large taxes were imposed and various disasters came: the economy began to falter. All-round decay reached its climax as Luther’s faith spread. In 1564, religious life even ceased. Archduke Charles ordered that all the monks, who were now living scandalous lives, be sent to other monasteries. In 1595, under the leadership of Prior Viano Graveli, they restored order and sorted out the monastery’s economy once again. In 1782, during the reign of Joseph II, the monastery was abolished.

ECONOMY AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE MONASTERY

Around 1700, the Žiče Carthusians had three churches in addition to the monastery (the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Church of Mary and the Church of St. Anna) and mansions in Konjice, Oplotnica, Maribor and Graz. In addition to numerous fields, pastures, meadows and forests, they also had many vineyards. A special mention should be made of the monastery’s glassworks, which stood near the hospital church. According to the source of Ivan Zelko, it is believed to have existed as early as 1543, and in any case it is the oldest ‘glažuta’ (traditional glassworks) in Slovenian Styria. It had a furnace with 4 to 8 melting pots, and produced glass for domestic use, pharmacies and window panes. For their own needs, the monks in Špitalič set up a grinding mill, a brickworks for baking bricks, and a mill by the watercourse in Sotna, near Žiče.

Along with the churches and their construction characteristics, the entire monastery design is of particular interest with the Carthusians, as it was relatively free and was always guided by the land available for construction. The Church of St. John the Baptist in the upper monastery was built in the 12th century. It was built by French masters from the Great Carthusian Monastery in the Romanesque style. It was later gothicised, in its construction with a narrow and long church, pointed arches, ribbed vaults and buttresses. In keeping with the strictness of the order, Carthusian architecture did not accommodate unnecessary decoration and luxury. The importance of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery particularly lies in in the fact that it is one of the main monuments of early Carthusian architecture on a European scale, as the first monasteries of this order have not been preserved.

STEP BY STEP

Author: Bogdan Badovinac, 2010
Location: Exhibition space

Since October 2010, the permanent exhibition Step by Step has been on display in the protocol rooms of the renovated Žiče Carthusian Monastery Economy Building. The exhibition is conceived as a conservation  gallery; it shows more than thirty years of work of the conservation profession in the restoration of the Carthusian monastery and is an important source of information about the situation, which is mostly unknown and hidden to today’s visitors.

The exhibition was prepared by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, Regional Unit in Celje, in cooperation with the Municipality of Slovenske Konjice, to celebrate the 850th anniversary of the arrival of Carthusians in the Žičnica Valley.

The renovation program and projects for the revitalisation of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery are designed to comprehensively protect, preserve, present and revive the monument’s facilities in a unified landscape monument area. In addition to the comparable European building qualities and the completed space of the Carthusian monastery, the uniqueness of the monument is also reflected in the preserved duality of the spatial design of the Carthusian monastery with a construction-free intermediate space between the Lower and Upper Monasteries. The peace and serenity that is still preserved, the primordiality and the spirit of the space give the Carthusian monastery an additional value that gives sense to past and future work. Of course, all further procedures will require prudence and consideration so that they do not harm the monument. Using non-destructive archaeological methods, it will be necessary to explore the cultural layers of the entire settlement area of the Upper and Lower Monastery and the now buried ponds.

Source: leaflet Korak za korakom… Obnova Zgornjega samostana Žičke kartuzije (Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije, Območna enota Celje)

CULTURAL HERITAGE OF ŽIČE CARTHUSIAN MONASTERY

Author: dr. Nataša Golob, 2007
Location: Exhibition space

A permanent exhibition of Žiče manuscripts has been on display in the renovated Žiče Carthusian monastery building since 2007. The Carthusians did not spread the faith among people with the spoken word but with the written word instead and only accepted people with a thorough knowledge of language and writing skills into their ranks. They devoted a large part of their lives to accurate transcriptions and the creation of new texts from all fields: theology, astronomy, practical sciences and literary creations. Among the preserved texts, there are many famous works that are invaluable monuments to our intellectual heritage and that of the wider Central European area.

The manuscripts from the Žiče Carthusian Monastery give, despite their diminution, an insight into several centuries of continuous development of the medieval book. Today, about 120 medieval manuscripts and almost 100 fragments are known to exist. This is only a small part of the former wealth, and it is mostly outside Slovenian borders. However, this is the only group of medieval manuscripts from the Slovenian area, where we can talk about almost four centuries of continuous manuscript work of the monastery community.

Since the manuscripts are multi-layered monuments, they tell us a lot: the preserved signatures tell us that there were indeed about 2,000 manuscripts in the library of Žička kartuzija. The texts were signed several times by monks and also transcribers from the outside world, who may have been benefactors of the monastery, their handwritings are a rich palette of different paleographic forms. This is the only significant group of manuscripts in our country where we can follow the development of decorated initials and talk about the “Žiče style”. In addition, some of them boast a colourful painted embellishments, which were contributed – in accordance with the mode of operation at the time – by professional, often travelling painters.

As part of the permanent exhibition, Cultural Heritage of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery, you can also see the original sanctioned Carthusian garment, which is a gift from the Carthusian Monastery at Pleterje and is a symbol of the white monks who lived here. Mr. Drago Iršič, who has been reviving the herbalist tradition in his herbal pharmacy in Žiča Carthusian Monastery for more than 20 years, received the garment as a gift from the Pleterje Carthusians.

A 32-page booklet, The Cultural Heritage of Žička Kartuzija by Dr. Nataša Golob, is for sale in the TIC Žička Kartuzija and TIC Slovenske Konjice shops. This booklet comprehensively presents the history of the monastery, the beginnings of the Carthusian order, the characteristics of Carthusian monasteries, and also presents the Žiča Carthusian Monastery as an art monument, a former extensive monastery library and talks about the future of the monastery.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

• Carthusians belong to a stricter monastic order. It is a hermitic order, which means that their members live an ascetic life away from the world and, as a rule, speak only when it is really necessary. This is why the Carthusians were also called the “Order of the Silent Monks”.
• While walking through the exhibition, listen to some special, characteristic music, the so-called Gregorian chants. Monophonic singing without instrumental accompaniment was the rule that monks had to follow when singing texts from the Carthusian antiphonary. In the room where the manuscripts are located, you can view this special musical record.
• Anyone who wanted to enter this order had to be well educated, master the language of their environment and, of course, Latin. He had to be able to write and compose new texts as just being able to transcribe texts was not considered sufficient.

GLASS IN THE TOWN OF SLOVENSKE KONJICE

Author: Zlatko Magdič, 2014
Location: Exhibition area

The permanent exhibitions were joined by the exhibition Glasses of the City of Slovenske Konjice on 16 May 2014. The exhibition is the author’s work on the Zlatko Magdič, a native of Konjice , who presented visitors with the so-called “Konjice crystal triplet” – a wedding chalice, glassware for the city and a chalice. It is a superb crystal masterpiece of three unique items of glassware, with their rich rainbow spectra with playful intertwining of light and shadows, which also carry within them the rich history of our area. Slovenske Konjice is the first Slovenian town or city to receive its own crystal triplet with an original seal. The exhibition was staged in the cultural corner of the renovated civic protocol rooms of the Žiče Charterhouse.

In June 2016, this exhibition was joined by a stone table, which we could admire for many years behind the building in the Municipality of Slovenske Konjice. Since it was once owned by the Carthusians and bears the venerable year 1656, it is only right that it was returned to its roots in the Žiče Carthusian Monastery.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

• Stylised medicinal plants, which are depicted on jars in brushed oval medallions, are taken from one of the legs of the stone table. On the wedding chalice, plant symbols are replaced with symbolic rings.
• The marble table is supposed to have stood in a pavilion surrounded by tall roses, and the monks supposedly sat at it on Sundays, exchanging wisdom and sipping herbal tea.
• The Carthusians were also engaged in herbalism and medicine. According to verbal sources, they supposedly helped a seriously ill man regain his health using herbs, so he gave them the stone table as a gift.

FOR ROMANTICS:

While walking through the herb garden in front of the monastery, stop in the hornbeam grove and sit on a replica of the stone table. Take in the beautiful view of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery and the peace that surrounds it.

“ORA ET LABORA” – “PRAY AND WORK”

Author: Zvone Pelko, KD Zgovorna tišina, 2014
Location: Above the herbal pharmacy

Through the Carthusian Rules (Consuetudines) is an exhibition that explains the spiritual and material life of the Carthusians. It is a continuation of the Carthusian forged message Opus Humanum, which you see at the entrance to the Žiče Carthusian Monastery. The exhibition has been on display since 22 June 2014 above the herbal pharmacy.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

In addition to the written Carthusian rules, the exhibition panels also contain photographs of monks from the Pleterje Monastery performing various tasks.

MODEL OF THE ŽIČE CARTHUSIAN MONASTERY

Avtor: MA. Miro Kvas,1998
Location: Cemetery Chapel

Inside the cemetery chapel there is a reconstructed model of the Žiča Carthusian Monastery at a scale of 1:1000. The model represents the entire complex of the monastery as it was at the time when the Lower Monastery, located in Špitalič, was already abandoned. All the grey-coloured buildings in the model no longer exist, and are either only ruins remain or they can no longer be seen at all.

With the help of this model, visitors can more easily imagine the magnificence of this monastery.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

The cemetery chapel in which the model is located has been fully preserved. The octagonal chapel replaced the cross that once stood in this place. On the south side of the wall above the sundial, the year of its construction has been carved – 1469.

SUMMER MUSIC EVENINGS IN ŽIČKA KARTUZIJA

Summer evenings in the Konjice area are reserved for enjoying the sound of good music. The summer musical evenings in the Žiče Carthusian Monastery are also among the constants of the summer beat. Concerts, which have been held for 20 years within the walls of the once mighty monastery, have a very special charm. All lovers of good music love to return to be musically pampered in this unique ambience. In past summer evenings, we have been enthralled and entertained by the music of many renowned names on the Slovenian music scene, such as Siddharta, Mi2, Nina Pušlar, Vlado Kreslin, Carmina Slovenica, Nina Strnad, Katalena, Nuška Drašček, Alenka Godec, Nuša Derenda, Neisha, Perpertum Jazzile and many others. The Centre for Cultural Events strives to select programs with quality content and to satisfy the widest possible range of musical tastes.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

• The names of the musicians who will perform at the Summer Music Evenings can be found, among other things, in the event booklet issued by the General Library of Slovenske Konjice for the current year ‘What, Where, When’.

FOR THE ROMANTICS:

• Summer concerts are a wonderful opportunity to spend leisure time in excellent company, exceptional ambience, with quality music and cold drinks.
• In addition to lit torches that give the concert ambience a special charm, you can also ensure a relaxed atmosphere yourself. Bring a blanket, find your “concert corner” and simply enjoy!

FESTIVAL OF HANDWRITING

The Festival of Handwriting was first organised in 2005. It found its home within the walls of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery, where famous Žiče manuscripts were created centuries ago. The purpose of the festival is to encourage primary school students to independently write a text on a topic, which is different every year, and to add a personal touch with a particular message to the text. Over time, the festival has outgrown its local borders and every year several primary schools from all over Slovenia decide to participate. The final event is always accompanied by a cultural program, where the best artists are awarded special awards and symbolic prizes. All the works received are then exhibited in the exhibition premises at Žička kartuzija.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

Children’s imagination knows no bounds. When we combine it with a handwritten text, we get what the Festival of Handwriting is trying to achieve. If you are interested in how beautiful handwriting is maintained in the world of digitisation, you are invited to join us at the closing event and see the exhibited products of all participants.

WEDDINGS AT ŽIČKA KARTUZIJA

  “… You see, here is a place where your fingerprints still rest,
your kisses are still felt and your whisper still echoes. It is a place
where a part of you will always be a part of me.”
– Gretchen Kemp

Žiča Carthusian Monastery, a former monastery of the Carthusian Order, whose roots date back to the 12th century, is one of the most special destinations due to its uniqueness and grandeur. Everyone who visits it feels a special charm and energy that make sure that we return to the shelter of this quiet beauty again and again.

You can also enrich the day when your journey together begins by choosing a unique location that will remain in your memory forever.

Let the quiet beauty of Žička kartuzija take you to a new chapter in your life together.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

You can send your wedding inquiry to info@gastuz.si or call 041 602 235 – Mateja Smogavc.

FOR THE ROMANTICS:

The magical backdrop of the Žiče Carthusian Monastery will make sure that the photos taken here will remind you of the day when your paths became one.

HERBS FROM ŽIČKA KARTUZIJA

The Žiče Carthusian Monastery has been known for its healing since its inception. In accordance with their order, the Carthusians lived modestly and simply, with renunciation, prayer and meditation. Special care was given to sick brothers, and later to the surrounding inhabitants. They had a well-maintained home pharmacy, they grew medicinal plants and created medicines. As early as 1185, the the hospital as an operation was mentioned, and later one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe was founded, which operated until the dissolution of the monastery. To this day , the manuscript of the “Book of Cures” of the monastery pharmacists has been preserved, where the prescriptions of the Roman doctor Galen are also recorded.

For many years, the Iršič family has nurtured the herbal tradition in the Žiče Carthusian Monastery with love. Over many years of hard work, the recognisable brand “Herbs from Žička kartuzija” was created. In the renovated defensive tower, there is a sales area that offers visitors a rich selection of the brand’s products, from various herbal teas, ointments, drinks to a wide range of crystals for health and physical well-being.

It has been known for some time now that herbs are also useful for the preparation of healthy food and herbal drinks, so the Iršič family has developed a series of their own recipes. Wishing to take you into the mysterious world of herbs and the harmony of unusual flavours from this green treasury, they prepare tastings of herbal spreads and drinks, as well as other dishes with the addition of herbs.

It is right that we also acquaint young people with the effectiveness of herbs. In the workshops they organise, participants learn about herbs in the garden and in nature. They learn how to harvest, dry and store herbs and what their uses are. Under professional guidance, they make their own herbal spreads and brew tea, and independently prepare a real feast.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

• When visiting the herbal pharmacy, do not forget to visit the exhibition “Ora et labora”, which is located on the upper floor.
• You can walk along the wooden balcony all the way to the Fish Tower to see the Žiče Carthusian Monastery from a different angle.
• If you are interested in where the herbs they use in their products grow, you can visit their organic farm at Meglič.

FOR GOURMETS:

The Iršič family also makes its own special spreads made from various grain grown at home, offering cottage cheese and homemade herbs.

POTTERY ATELIER

The traditional potter is not only an exceptional master of pottery, but also one of the few who has mastered the almost forgotten expertise in creating traditional black ceramics. He is one of the few traditional masters who, when viewed while working, perfectly masters clay and the production of various items. It doesn’t matter if he has a traditional wooden spinning wheel in front of him, which is operated by foot, or if he is working on a modern electric version. However, it is still considered that baking is the key and at the same time the most interesting part of the entire process of making ceramics.

Rok Komel is a creator where clay permeates his soul and hands, universal and at the same time intimate, imbued with tradition and modern sensitivity, as it most directly expresses the author’s sensibility.

The artistic and functional ceramic form, technological perfection, innovation, aesthetics, message, idea, are elements that are of interest to the Celje professor of history and ethnology, Rok Komel, who was already learning about the laws of classical pottery during his studies, and today he is the only classical potter in Celje who, in addition to functional ceramics, is increasingly interested in decorative, aesthetically designed clay items.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

All the finished products are on display in the showroom and can also be purchased. There is a wide range of products to choose from, such as pots, vases, chalices, sprinklers, Žička kartuzija signs, magnets and horseshoes etc.

OTAKAR’S SPARKLING WINE CELLAR

Konjice sparkling wines mature in the old vaulted cellars of the Carthusian monastery at Žiča. The cellar is named after the founder of the Žiča Carthusian Monastery, Otakar III, who founded it in the dim past of the 12th century. There are original written sources about the Carthusian economic activity, among which viticulture was prominent, about the Žiče Carthusian Monastery, which had a strong influence on the cultural and economic development of the lands here at the time and has always been the seat of all the Carthusian Monasteries of the then German lands. Already in 1173, they mentioned their own vineyards which were given to them by the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrich II. In 1485, however, when visiting the monastery, Paolo Santonino wrote: “ In these times they alone have more wine than all the rest of the province combined.” The Carthusians first produced wine for their own needs, and later on they began to trade.

Today, the Zlati Grič Wine Cellar matures up to 60,000 bottles of white and rose sparkling wine in the cellars annually.

FOR THE CURIOUS:

Due to the constant temperature in the cellars, only those who are qualified to work with sparkling wines may enter.

FOR GOURMETS:

• A glass of good wine or sparkling wine can be enjoyed at the Gastuž inn, the oldest inn in Slovenia.
• All wine and sparkling wine lovers have the opportunity to taste the wines as part of organised tastings in the Zlati Grič Wine Cellar.

FOR THE YOUNGEST