St. George's Cathedral

Piran, Slovenia

Above the compact Piran town centre reigns St. George's Cathedral, which gives the city its special character. It was probably built in the 12th century, but no exact data in this regard exists.

In the 14th century, it was built to its present size. In the year 1344, on the Day of St. George, the cathedral was consecrated by nine bishops from near and far. It acquired its present appearance after Baroque renovation in the year 1637. The Bell Tower was completed in 1608, and the Baptistery in the year 1650. During these years, reinforcements were made to the hill on which the cathedral rests.

The supporting walls were built in the year 1641, and on the sea side, the hill was fortified with stone arches. The construction of the stone arches began in the year 1663 and lasted until 1804. They were seriously dilapidated due to the effects of erosion, and thus had to be reconstructed and restored in 1998.

In the year 1737, St George's Cathedral acquired seven marble altars. Of the preserved works of art, the two sculptures of St. George are particularly worth seeing. The larger one is from the 17th century and is the work of an unknown sculptor. The smaller one is silver-plated and was made by a Piran-based goldsmith's workshop. The wall paintings are the work of the Venetian school. The two big paintings (Mass in Bolsena and St. George's Miracle) date from the beginning of the 17th century and were painted by Angelo de Coster.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Adamiceva ulica 3, Piran, Slovenia
See all sites in Piran

Details

Founded: 1344
Category: Religious sites in Slovenia

More Information

www.portoroz.si

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Church of Snowy Mary (0,1 km)
Church of Our Lady of Consolation (0,1 km)
Minorite Monastery Church (0,2 km)
St. Stephen's Church (0,1 km)
St. Clement's Church (0,4 km)
Piran Town Walls (0,4 km)


Church of St. Euphemia (49,9 km)
Euphrasian Basilica (33,5 km)
Trieste Cathedral (20,5 km)
San Giusto Castle (20,6 km)
Miramare Castle (22,2 km)
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta (30,8 km)
Roman Amphitheatre (20,7 km)
Church of Our Lady of Angels (33,7 km)
Motovun Village (29,5 km)

User Reviews

Evgenii Danilov (20 months ago)
The great church
Andrej Branc (2 years ago)
Beautiful church inside and out, great view down to Tartini square and over the bay on the other side.
Richard Ashcroft (2 years ago)
The Venetian Renaissance church, which dominates the view of Piran from many vantage points, sits precariously atop an unstable hill near the edge of a cliff, over which it could potentially tumble. Every so often there are earth stabilization works to prevent this. From the church grounds you can look over the jumbled roofs of the town, down at the rocky beach or the town square, or over the Bay of Trieste.
Łukasz Stachnik (2 years ago)
Great place to see Piran and coastal architecture, and few churches. I recommend to see it in September as there are not many tourists. Near orthodox church, there is a tower (entrance costs 2 euro) with a great view over Piran. Great!
Peter Milo (2 years ago)
A very nice historical place with the best sunset of piran. A garden on top of the town with a cliff side, really georgeous.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

Historic Site of the week

Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.