Mit - Index

Mit - SINFO 2008 04 - 8 - Index

I FEEL SLOvENIa
landlord Abraham from Bavaria once travelled through the valley
of Poljanska with his black servant. In a dark forest, in the middle
of their journey, they came across a giant bear. Duke Abraham
stood still, while the black man took his bow and killed the bear.
The master embraced his servant and told him: “You've saved
my life, my servant. I will reward you for your bravery, so that
coming generations will know what a hero you were”. To express
his gratitude, he ordered that the head of a black man be added
to the coat-of-arms.
tHE mIDDlE aGES EvEN toDay
Because it was the Middle Ages that left such a deep mark in
the very identity of the town, its citizens are trying in a way to
remember this period even today. One of the best known events
in ©kofja Loka is Venerina pot (Venus’ Path), an event dedicated
to the Middle Ages. The main show is a rich medieval market,
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which offers its visitors elegant and tasty souvenirs of the old
Loka, while authentic medieval meals are served in taverns.
Numerous masters and craftsmen with crafts which have been
almost lost are presented at the market, and visitors can watch
craftsmen make ©kofja Loka paper, Loka and Dražgoše bread,
and can learn about calligraphy and pottery and see how the
making of scarves, carving trade, lace-making, threading of flax
on a spinning wheel, and hand weaving and basketwork once
looked like. Countrywomen from nearby prepare goodies which
are later sold at a food market. There you can find various milk
products, cheeses, cereals and cereal products, homemade
pastries, herbs, meat, dried fruit, spirits, poultry, small cattle,
honey products.
Venerina pot is an international historical − cultural/tourist
project in which Slovenia and ©kofja Loka have been involved
for a number of years. The idea for the project was floated at
the University of Klagenfurt, with the main concept of the event
being the medieval legend of the knight, Ulrich von Lichtenstein,
who dressed up as a woman so that people could not recognize
him as he travelled in the 13th century through 52 towns of the
present-day Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Slovenia, also
making a stop in ©kofja Loka. When Ulrich came to the borders of
the present-day Slovenia, a duke spoke to him and greeted him in
Slovenian: ≈Buge vas primi Gralva Venus (God accompanies you,
Empress Venus).” Ulrich’s travels today represent the concept of
the presentation of his, or to be more precise, Venus’ path.
Remembrance of medieval times is also maintained by the
recently awoken ©kofjeloški pasjon (Processio Locopolis), the
oldest preserved play in the Slovenian language and the only
remaining passion play in Europe from the Baroque period.
Processio Locopolis is also listed among the Slovenian cultural
heritage. It was written in 1721 by the Capuchin Father Romuald
MarušiË. It was staged only a couple of times during the Baroque,
and was later completely abandoned. After 200 years, people
from ©kofja Loka started staging it again in 1999, and this has
become a tradition. The play involves more than 600 people,
and performances are seen every year by about 40,000 visitors.
The passion takes place in the form of a procession which is
divided into scenes from the Bible, and represents the story of
humankind from the fall of Adam and Eve through the allegory
of death to the suffering of Jesus Christ. Scenes involve portable
stages, carriages, horses and are performed through the streets
and squares of ©kofja Loka.