The most beautiful religious buildings Ptuj

The cult of Mithras was never a religion recognized by Rome. Therefore, these sacred places were outside the city. From the middle of the 3rd century, some temples crossed the boundaries of Ptuj. Sanctuaries I and II can be seen respectively at Spodnja Hajdina, about 4 km west of the town, and at Zgornji Breg. Contact the Regional Museum for a visit or ask for the key from your neighbour.

Mithra I. Spodnja Hajdina. To get there, take the direction of Maribor. On leaving Ptuj, turn left before the intersection of the roads leading to Ljubljana and Maribor. After 300 m, turn left at the sign. Park below and follow a small path between fir trees and corn crops. To obtain the key, you have to go to n° 40 (family Župančič). Built in the middle of the 2nd century A.D. by officials of the customs administration which had its seat in Ptuj. This set, discovered in 1898-1899, was covered in 1910.

Mithra II. Zgornji Breg. Beforehand take the direction of Maribor. At the sign indicating the sanctuary, turn right. The key's in number three. This sanctuary was founded in the second half of the 3rd century AD by soldiers of the 13th Germina and Macedonia legions, who settled in Ptuj. The site was revealed in 1913. The temple was built a year later to protect it.

The sites are remarkably well preserved and clearly worth the trip if you are staying in the Ptuj area.

Built at the end of the 14th century, it has one of the most beautiful works of art in the country, a Mercy carved in a single block of stone (1410-1415). The Virgin shelters under a mantle, unfurled by seven angels, 81 characters. It is a veritable portrait gallery where the Emperor Sigismund and the Counts of Celje can be identified. The old tympanum of the portal, placed above the altar, was commissioned by Bernard III of Ptuj to celebrate the baptism of Elizabeth, daughter of the emperor. The whole, very pure, is very expressive and lively. It was the Prague Speaking Workshop that worked on the building of the church founded by Bernard III. Destroyed by the Turks, it was completed during its renovation with four defence towers, only one of which remains on the south side. In the 16th century the church became Protestant and in 1615 the Jesuits took it over again until 1774. It has been in the hands of the Friars Minor since 1937. The three-nave church, a fine example of Slovenian Gothic, also contains the altar of the Counts of Celje designed in 1400 in the southern apse in the "soft style" and the bas-reliefs depicting the death of the Virgin, the Magi, and the angels with coats of arms. The work The Death of the Virgin was created in 1415 by the author of Mercy, who remained unknown. This church is one of the most beautiful in Slovenia, with an impressively rich interior and documentation that helps to get a better idea of what it means to pilgrims.

Mathilde, widow of Frederick III, donated the land to the Dominicans in 1230. Originally from Carinthia, they settled on the castle grounds a year later. The monastery was then only partially completed. Two renovations change its appearance. The first, in the mid-fourteenth century, following the fire of 1302. In the cloister, the fresco of the Dominicans at prayer dates from this period. The second renovation, a century later, gives the cloister its final appearance. The order was dissolved by Emperor Joseph II in 1786. The former monastery escaped its conversion into a textile factory. In 1928, this former museum installed its archaeological collections there.

In the crypt, the reconstruction of a shrine dedicated to Mithra, discovered at Spodnja Hajdina in 1901, allows you to become familiar with this religion originating in Persia, which was widespread in the first centuries of Christianity among the Romans and was introduced by soldiers on European soil. The initiation cult was reserved exclusively for men. The lapidary occupies the ground floor of the old church. Funerary stelae are attributed to soldiers and veterans of the Roman legions who were stationed in Ptuj (Poetivo). The bas-reliefs of the 2nd and 3rd centuries depicting the Nurse are of great beauty. The Nutrices Augustae was revered by the women and children she was supposed to protect. The Celts were already practicing this cult. On the first floor were gathered Roman pieces (jewellery, glassware, pottery...) as well as Slavic pottery.