Summer Museum Night 2021

Summer Museum Night

Summer Museum Night is the largest promotional campaign of Slovenian museums, galleries, and other institutions that implement programs in the field of cultural heritage, art, culture, and history. This time it is the 19th in a row and took place on June 19, 2021, from 6 pm to midnight (3rd Saturday in June). Institutions open their doors during this time and there is no entrance fee. For this purpose, they prepare special exhibitions and events for visitors of all ages. I decide to visit two locations: Plečnik’s House and the City Museum of Ljubljana, both of which are part of the Museum and Gallery of the City of Ljubljana

Plečnik’s house

On Karunova Street 4.-6. Plečnik’s house is located. House looks rather modest from the outside but hides a lot of treasures inside. Visiting Plečnik’s house is only possible with a guided tour, which is at every full hour. The whole complex consists of 3 buildings. He first bought a house on Karunova 4 in 1921. He then built a cylindrical extension in the yard in 1923-25. In the end, he bought a neighboring house on Karunova 6 and built a winter garden in the backyard. After his death in 1957, his nephew Karel Matkovič inherited the house, and after his death in 1971, the family sold the house to the city of Ljubljana, which is the beginning of museum activity here. On the centenary of the house, the latter was renovated in 2015.

You start the tour at Karunova 6, where a guide to Karunova 4 takes you from the reception area. There, you see a vestibule containing interesting objects, a bench for unannounced visitors with a slope and exposed to the sun and rain, and some reused objects.

Next is the kitchen with an interesting sink, a chair that has been adapted for drawing, and, of course, the obligatory coffee pots.

In the workshop, there is a modest table on basic support with objects from his life, where there is a striking black hat that he always wore. The bed is also modest.

The bathroom again contains a work surface where he could draw.

The small reception area is clad in wood. Plečnik sat here with his friends. An interesting subject is the award of the city of Ljubljana, which was designed by Plečnik and later received by him.

The winter garden was often also the place where he lectured to his students. The coat of arms with 5 bees and an attempt to replicate the Roman hypocaust are interesting.

The tour ends in a 2,500 square meters big garden. There is a lapidary, an apiary and remnants of roofing from the market.

We certainly can feel at this house the pulse of the great architect, his propensity to reuse objects, and his constant focus on work. Unfortunately, the house never became a place where Plečnik’s whole family would live. He lived here alone with an assistant.

The house is open for visitors all days except Mondays, Christmas and New Year from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A guided tour begins every full hour. Groups are up to seven visitors (COVID), so it is better to book / register in advance. Admission is € 6 for adults. More information can be found on the page.

City Museum of Ljubljana

From Plečnik’s house I walked to the City Museum of Ljubljana in the Turjaška Palace on Gosposka street 15. In the museum you can find artifacts from prehistoric times onwards in the area of today’s city of Ljubljana. Atr entrance we are greeted by Hercules (a replica), original standing in front of the seminary library.

I started my visit at the basement where I saw the remains from the times of Roman Emona. Among the more interesting remains is the inn and the road that led from the town across the Ljubljanica further east towards Sisak.

Of the prehistoric remains, probably the most important is the 5,200-year-old wheel found in the marshes.

There are many exhibits from medieval times. I found interesting the medieval seal with a dragon, which illustrates 3 medieval squares.

In the 2nd floor, the exhibition is dedicated to the Ljubljana Congress of 1821 on the occasion of its 200th anniversary.

There are other interesting objects from the history of the city, e.g. barbed wire from World War II that surrounded the entire city.