Minorite Church, Maribor

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Minoritska cerkev

Vojašniški trg 2, SI-2000 Maribor

cerkev@lg-mb.si

Phone386 (0) 2 228 1970

Managed byMaribor Puppet Theatre

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The Minorite Church, Maribor (previously also called the church of the Assumption of Mary) is a new performing arts venue set up in 2015. Set on the bank of the Drava river in Maribor, in the city's old medieval quarter called Lent, the former church has gone through a thorough reconstruction between the years 2013 and 2015. Since than it has been used for a variety of cultural events, from classical music and contemporary choir concerts to puppet theatre plays and lectures. With sproadic art exhibitions also planned, the core of events remains to be of a musical nature.

The venue is managed by the Maribor Puppet Theatre, which has been since 2010 located in the adjacent, also recently reconstructed former Minorite convent. The renovated church made for an audience of approximately 300, has been designed by ATELIERarhitekti (who also managed the restoration of the convent).

History

During the reconstruction it was discovered that the church was actually a bit (300 hundred years) older than previously presumed, and is now dated to be built sometime in 12th century (on the site that boasts a far longer history). Some of its romanesque era foundations (when it was the biggest church in the region) can still be seen, as can its later Gothic permutation, which featured the oldest known Gothic portal in Slovenia.

Later the church has gone through a series of further changes and 'baroquizations' up until 1784, when it was – under the Josephine reforms – claimed by the army as its barracks and warehouse space. In 20th Century, the place was nationalised and further used as a warehouse until it was left unoccupied in 1990. It remained empty right until its refurbishment into an art venue.

The KleT exhibition grounds

As the renovation unearthed a number of artefacts and old tombs beneath the church grounds were discovered, an additional basement floor was added. One can enter it through the convent and there one can see the three layers of the church's architectural history – its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque layers. Additionally, the crypts and some other remains are also exhibited.

Performing arts venue

The venue served as an occasional venue for alternative scenic performances during the period when the SNG Maribor was led by Tomaž Pandur, e.g. a vanguard interpretation of the Wedekind's Lulu directed by Eduard Miler in 1990. Additionally, it was also used as an occasional venues for Lent festival, during which Terrafolk performed there in 2004.

The grand opening of the new venues was done in the scope of the Festival Maribor in 2015, when the Egyptian oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros was hosted. The festival also run a part of its programme in the monastery in the later editions, with the cellist Nicolas Altstaedt hosted in 2016. The church was also used by the contemporary choral music festival Janus festival, was one of the venues of Lent Festival and of the Contemporary dance Platform festival, and was utilised by the famed choir Carmina Slovenica.

Additionally, the church is also the site of lectures and for some site-specific puppet shows (like Pirat in luna, a shadow puppet play by Tin Grabnar), produced by the Maribor Puppet Theatre.

See also

• Maribor Puppet Theatre
• Minorite St Petrus and Paulus Monastery Archives and Library, Ptuj
• Festival Maribor
• Carmina Slovenica
• Lent Festival

External links

• The church webspage (in Slovene)
• The Minorite Church in Maribor reconstruction information at ZVKDS website (in Slovene)
• An article about the architecure of the church on Open House Slovenia Festival website