| A Late Gothic stronghold with a beautiful view, located on a hill known as Brunska gora, 6 kilometres south of Radece, is composed of two churches, dedicated to the Three Kings and the Holy Mary. At the beginning of the 16th century an idea of a third church almost came to realization – but a priest from a near-by village Loka, a fiery proponent of newly discovered reformation movement and just as fiery opponent of excessive church-building, saint-worshipping and pilgrimages, stood up against it. His name was Primoz Trubar and his face can nowadays be seen on a banknote for 10 Slovenian Tolars as a face of the author of firsts Slovenian books (Catechismus and Abecedarium, 1550). His personal views about the third church in Brunk have remained preserved in his third book ˝En register … ena kratka postila˝ (1558). The Church of the Holy Three Kings was built in a shape of a hall in approximately 1520. All three naves are covered by a cross-vault, whose ˝ribs˝ come directly from the round dividing pillars; the presbytery is star-vaulted. The exterior of the church is encompassed with supporting pillars. A fresco of St. Christopher is preserved on the southern facade; the presbytery frescoes, contemporary with original architecture, have been whitewashed. The church is richly furnished and a group of plastics – Bow of the Kings, Holy Mary with a Child and The Crucified – from the time of the erection has even been preserved till today. The high altar from 1684 is a high-quality example of a so-called golden altar. Another altar of the same type, although not as old, can be found next to the northern wall and a painting of The Crucified with St. Magdalene, made by Paulus Rossini from Venice at the end of the 18th century, decorates the southern nave. The pulpit is supposed to be around 300 years old. A date, preserved on a ground-brick, gives an accurate account of the erection-time of Holy Mary's Chapel, whose roof was destroyed during the World War II. The church tower connecting both churches was erected in the 17th century. Both churches – which almost haven't been renovated and boast an outstanding 16-18th century furnishings – are nowadays regarded as one of the most important monuments of Slovenian Late Gothic architecture. Find out more about Radece at http://www.ktrc.si |