| The pilgrimage centre with its two branch churches is located on the sunny slope of Mala Planina above Črna. Above the larger and more famous church stands a smaller one-nave Gothic branch of St. Peter. The simply built and roughcast exterior with the saddleback roof hides a decorative, severely damaged painted wooden ceiling (1475) in the nave and three golden altars from the 17th century (St. Peter, St. Lucia, St. Laurence).
Lower down is the vestry, where one can occasionally get refreshments, a smaller chapel with the statue of Christ the King, the work of France Kralj, and a bell tower that stands alone (bell from 1491), the remains of the defence walls of the camp.
The Church of St. Mohor and St. Fortunatus (before the Church of St. Radegunda) has a Romanesque design. It was rebuilt in the 15th century and later added onto. The Gothic period is reflected in the two-nave vaulted area of the nave (1459), unusual for our territory, with a narrower presbytery, constructed in 1507. The church has its bell tower included in the west façade. The interior is a surprise with exceptional Renaissance paining and fittings. The paintings on the sides of the nave are dated 1504. They could be the work of Master Vid or even the Master from Sveti Primož. On the north wall there is a combined image of the journey and adoration of the Magi, the plagues and Mary our Protector with the mantle of the suffering Christ. The south wall is adorned by frescoes about Mary's life with depictions that are not only interesting as icons. They are also a reflection of the life of women in the beginning of the 16th century. The painted scenes are set in real landscapes or places and many details of the genre are fascinating, from the clothes to people's behaviour. On the west side stands a baldachin "altar", a symbolic tomb with relics of the martyrs Mohor and Fortunatus. The main altar (1628) is one of the early golden altars of the Ljubljana workshop of Giovanni Battista Costa. In 1742 Valentin Metzinger painted the late Baroque pulpit with the evangelists and an excellent still life. The organs are the oldest instruments by an artist famous in Slovenia (Janez Fuller, 1680).
The churches are regularly maintained. The keys can be obtained, especially during the weekends, in the nearest vestry. During the week ask for the key at the parsonage in the valley. |