PLETERJE MONASTERY (KARTUZIJA PLETERJE)

The monastery, which is still active, is occupied by the Carthusian monks whose order was founded by Saint Bruno in 1084 in the Grande-Chartreuse massif and follows the rule of Saint Benedict. The monks will not be visible and you will not have access to the premises, except for the Gothic church and the reception with its souvenir sale. Pleterje is however worth a visit for the quietness of the site. The high walls that defend the site from any intrusion over 2.6 km contribute to its mystery. Pleterje was founded in 1407 by Count Hermann II of Celje. The first monks came from the monastery of Žice, the first Carthusian monastery built in 1160 on Slovenian soil near Slovenske Konjice. Pleterje, ravaged by the Turks in 1471, was solidly rebuilt with a wall, seven towers and a moat. A real fortress. From the 16th to the 18th century it was occupied by the Jesuits of Ljubljana. It was only in 1899 that the old order settled there again, thanks to the religious coming from France. The buildings are transformed at the same time according to the plans of the architect Jean-François Pichat. The Church of the Holy Trinity is a fine example of Carthusian Gothic. The tympanum is decorated with the Coronation of the Virgin. On the façade of the building, a plaque commemorates the memory of Joseph Ressel, former forest steward of the order, who invented the boat propeller. His first attempts are said to have taken place on the small pond of the monastery. Ressel continues his tests on the Krka with a boat equipped with a propeller.