Historična arhitektura v Kočevju
V 19. in začetku 20. stoletja so na Kočevskem prevladovali neoslogi, ki jim ne pripada le cerkev, ampak več stavb, med drugim tudi stavba gimnazije in staro župnišče. Kočevje je tako začelo dobivati podobo pravega mesta, saj so mu nove stavbe dale pečat urbanosti.
Kočevska župnijska cerkev stoji v centru mesta ob reki Rinži, na prostoru nekdanje kapele Turjačanov in starejše cerkve. Petindvajset metrov široka, petdeset metrov dolga in petnajst metrov visoka cerkev, ki se je je zaradi velikosti prijel izraz ‘stolnica’, je grajena v historičnem neoromanskem slogu. Zidali so jo od 1900 do 1903, arhitekt pa je bil, po več zamenjavah, Avgust Kirstein. Posvečena je bila 19. julija 1903.
Tloris te triladijske bazilike je preprost, njena zunanjščina je iz lomljenega kamna. Vanjo lahko vstopimo skozi polkrožni portal z reliefom, ima pa tudi stranski vhod. Svetišče je opazno, saj se 52 metrov visoka trinadstropna zvonika vidi že od daleč. V enem je stopnišče z vhodom na kor in k zvonovom, v drugem pa krstilnica, preurejena v kiosk. Na koncu cerkve je prezbiterij s kupolasto apsido, ob njej sta zakristiji. Notranjost je osvetljena z visokimi, značilno polkrožno zaključenimi romanskimi okni in v nekaterih so tudi vitraji.
Veličastno fresko Kristusa v prezbiteriju je naslikal Slavko Pengov, v svetišču pa najdemo še več znamenitosti, kot so: bronast kip sv. Jerneja, ki je delo Staneta Jarma, posebna klop, namenjena knezom Auerspergom, in stenska omarica v prezbiteriju, v kateri so shranjena njihova srca.
Kočevska cerkev velja za enega najpomembnejših sakralnih spomenikov historičnih slogov na Slovenskem, skupaj z neogotsko cerkvijo sv. Martina v Šmartnem pri Litiji, ki je bila zgrajena v istem času. Brez župnijske cerkve pa si Kočevja ni mogoče predstavljati, saj je ena največjih kulturnih znamenitosti mesta in nepogrešljivi del njegove vedute, za katoličane pa kraj srečevanja z Bogom in vernim občestvom.
Viri:
AMBROŽIČ, Matjaž. (2003). Župnijska cerkev sv. Fabijana in Boštjana ter sv. Jerneja v Kočevju in njene podružnice. Kočevje: župnija.
RESMAN, Blaž in Helena Seražin. (2010). Umetnostna topografija Slovenije. Ljubljana: Umetnostnozgodovinski inštitut Franceta Steleta ZRC SAZU.
Besedilo: Klara Štefanič, 2.a
Fotografije: Klara Štefanič, 2.a
Strokovni pregled: Marjana Dolšina Delač
Jezikovni pregled: Nina Papež
April 2021
THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. FABIAN AND SEBASTIAN AND ST. BARTHOLOMEW IN KOČEVJE
Historical architecture in Kočevje
The predominant styles in the Kočevje region in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century were the neostyles, which include not only the church, but several other buildings, such as the secondary school building and the old parsonage. Kočevje thus began to acquire the appearance of a proper town because the buildings gave it an urban look.
The Kočevje parish church is located in the city centre by the Rinža River, in place of the former chapel of the Counts of Turjak and the older church. The twenty-metre wide, fifty-metre long and fifteen-metre tall church, also called ‘cathedral’ because of its size, is built in the Neo-Romanesqe style. It was constructed from 1900 to 1903 and, after several replacements, the architect was Avgust Kirstein. It was consecrated on 19th July 1903.
The three-nave basilica has a simple ground plan, its exterior is made from chiseled stone. It can be entered through a semicircular portal with a relief or through the side entrance. The temple is noticable because the two 52-metre tall three-storey bell towers are visible from afar. One contains the staircase with the entrance to the choir and the bells, and in the other there is the baptistery transformed into a kiosk. At the end of the church there is the presbytery with a dome-shaped apse and vestries at the sides. The interior is illuminated with tall, typically semicircular Romanesque windows and some also have stained glass.
The magnificent fresco of Christ in the presbytery was painted by Slavko Pengov. The temple holds more artifacts, such as: a bronze statue of St. Bartholomew made by Stane Jarm, a special pew intended for the Auerspergs, and a wall cabinet that contains their hearts.
The Kočevje Church is considered one of the most important sacral monuments of historical styles in Slovenia, along with the Neo-Gothic church of St. Martin in Šmartno pri Litiji, which was built at the same time. One cannot imagine Kočevje without its parish church because it is one of the biggest cultural landmarks and an indispensable part of its area, as well as a place for Catholics to meet God and their religious community.
Sources:
AMBROŽIČ, Matjaž. (2003). Župnijska cerkev sv. Fabijana in Boštjana ter sv. Jerneja v Kočevju in njene podružnice. Kočevje: the parish.
RESMAN, Blaž and Helena Seražin. (2010). Umetnostna topografija Slovenije. Ljubljana: Umetnostnozgodovinski inštitut Franceta Steleta ZRC SAZU.