The Church of the Holy Spirit at Javorca

The Memorial Church of St. Spirit in Javorca above the Valley Polog. The secession wooden church was built to commemorate thousands of fallen soldiers on the Isonzo Front in the First World War and illustrates the message: Peace (Pax). The church is under monumental protection and falls under the cultural monuments of Slovenia. In 1999, the church was proclaimed a cultural monument of national importance, in 2007 it was included in the list of particularly important historical and cultural heritage of Europe and in 2018 received the European Heritage Label.

Location: Plateau of Polog above Zatolmin (lat: 46° 14' 07" N / lon: 13° 43' 25" E)

Completed project: November 1, 1916
Authors: Remigius Geyling (architecture and decoration), Geza Jablonsky (head of works), Anton Perathoner (altar).
Investors: Soldiers of the 3rd Mountain Brigade of the Austro-Hungarian Army

Memorial Church of St. Spirit at Javorca is a comprehensive artwork in the best tradition of Vienna Secession. It stands in the heart of the valley of the Tolminka River, surrounded by the peaks of the Julian Alps. The construction is directly related to the events on the Isonzo Front. The plans were made by the Austrian painter Remigius Geyling (1878-1974), who collaborated with Otto Wagner and Gustav Klimt.

The execution was led by Hungarian lieutenant Geza Jablonsky, while the wooden part of the altar was crafted by South Tyrol carver Anton Perathoner (1888-1965). Perathoner carved the tabernacle doors, a large wooden cross, and the prototype of honorary chairs.

The interior is a hall space divided into naves by eight beams. The light prosees through colored glass, creating a harmonious atmosphere. The decoration follows geometric motifs where the primary symbol is the equilateral cross. A unique feature is the use of oak boards from ammunition crates, onto which soldiers burned the names of nearly three thousand fallen comrades. These boards open like the leaves of a book.

In 1998, a strong earthquake damaged the building, leading to a thorough renovation between 2004 and 2005.