The allure of Ptuj is that it is promoted as the oldest city in Slovenia. This is like a magnet to overseas visitors who are drawn to the ‘old’ and who come to Europe to see the historical towns, buildings and ruins that reveal it. The history of Ptuj old town, buildings like Ptuj Castle, and Roman and mediaeval pasts certainly meet the criteria.
And so we come to the conundrum that is Ptuj. The city is small, attractive, easy to get around and certainly worth visiting. Ptuj leaves a trail of history from Roman occupation through the mediaeval. But Ptuj kept sweeping up after itself. Romanesque structures were renovated to Gothic, Gothic to Renaissance, and finally, some to Baroque. It is difficult to find a building that authentically represents the period of its build.
This focus on restoration can be traced even to the last decade when from 2013 with a peak around 2020 Ptuj renovated its Town Hall Building and surrounding space with the loss of some historically old houses. Consequently, unlike other historical towns which have kept their old towns separate, such as Piran in Slovenia and Kotor in Montenegro , Ptuj has integrated its worthwhile historical attractions within a refurbished landscape. Some of the images we are using predate those restorations so we can offer a glimpse of ‘old’ Ptuj.
Old Ptuj
We can start our post with some images of the Ptuj we came to visit – the ‘Old Ptuj’, or ‘Ptuj Grad’.
We trust that in this post we can outline the creep of Ptuj history and its impact on the sites you will visit. You will enjoy this post if you want to understand what Ptuj has to offer, identify places to visit, and to get a perspective and the impact of Ptuj’s past. The post starts with some of the sites of the Roman period, and then identifies restored sites from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque.
Sites from the Roman Period
Archaeological Evidence of Roman Occupation
You will find it interesting to meander through excavation sites where archaeologists have exposed remnants of pre-existing settlements. The footprint of Roman towns usually reveals roads and lanes which criss-crossed to form a rectangular grid. Some of the roads also served to connect towns like Roman Ptuj with others. Houses and shops populated the town while higher status villas and farm houses occupied the outer green scape. Circular temples and industrial works were also common elements.
The ‘Archaeological Park’ adjacent to Ptuj is based on previous excavations. Some of the findings are visible but some are subterranean. Visitors make their way through the park with the aid of Information Boards that bring attention to any archaeology in the immediate vicinity.
The Romans protected their towns with a surrounding city wall. This was particularly the case if the city were the site of a garrison which administered the region. It also applied if the city was prosperous and stored produce. Ptuj was an administrative centre and its location on the Drava River certainly gave the Romans trade advantages.
The remnants of the Roman city walls do not jump out at you as you meander along the fringe of the old town. However, fragments throughout the town that either stand as independent ruins or are integrated into more recent buildings are reminders of previous Roman occupation.
Having taken in the bigger picture of Roman Ptuj, we can focus on some of the individual Roman attractions.
Having taken in the bigger picture of Roman Ptuj, we can focus on some of the individual Roman attractions.
Roman Monuments in Ptuj
Monuments are just slabs of inscribed rock in we don’t understand their purpose. The Romans used monuments to commemorate events and people. For example, you’ve seen grand arches which were embellished with stone reliefs to project the status of the emperor; military victories were often celebrated with the erection of monuments which featured equestrian themes; and inscribed tombs and epitaphs commemorated the dead as part of the funerary monument.
This monument is quite sizeable at 5m x1.8m and is located in the town square in the vicinity of St George’s Church. The Orpheus’ Monument dates from the 2nd Century and more specifically is the tombstone of Marcus Valerius Verus, the mayor and counsellor of Ptuj. The tombstone is inscribed although the marble has weathered since the 2nd Century AD. Nevertheless, you should be able to identify the relief of Orpheus playing the lyre.
Inscriptions and Artefacts
A selection of Roman monuments is located in a lapidarium (an open air repository for the exhibition of archaeological stone monuments and remains) which is part of the Povoden Museum.
Several of the sizeable exhibits got our attention but one in particular seemed promising. Our attempt to translate the Latin was frustrating because of the number of words on the façade that were damaged. But if you persevere you will have one major success! You should be able to identify reference to the Roman name of the town – Poetovio.
Mithraic Temples
An interesting follow up is to visit one of Ptuj’s cult temples. Secretive cults that were based on unique traditions and myth were common among the ancients. The Roman cult active within Ptuj was that of the god Mithras. The cult of Mithra, Mithraism, spread to the Roman provinces from Persia from the late first Century.
Two subterranean Mithraic temples (Mithraeums) dating from the 2nd th 3rd centuries have been have been excavated https://visitptuj.eu/en/see-do/culture-heritage/sightseeing/mithraeum-i-and-iii/
Arches and Vaults
The innovative element that distinguished Roman architecture was the semi-circular arch. This arch replaced the rectangular Greek configuration of a horizontal architrave supported by columns. The Roman arch is structurally stronger than its Greek predecessor and spawned the barrel vault. Ptuj is heavily populated with arches and although they were not constructed during the Roman period, thought could be given to the legacy of this Roman advance.
Ptuj Regional Museum
The Regional Museum is scattered at various locations throughout Ptuj and it displays pottery, coins, and statues that verify Roman presence in Ptuj. The following is a sample of the Roam finds displayed in the museum adjacent to the Lapidarium.
Ptuj has a continuous history dated from its Roman period and so despite its challenges and conflicts Ptuj could be expected to retain examples from the early Middle Ages to the High Middle Ages (11th-14th Centuries). This includes the Romanesque of the 11th and 12th Centuries.
Romanesque Sites Continue Roman Themes
Ptuj Castle
When you visit Ptuj Castle your eye will catch three attractions with Romanesque fingerprints; the Castle Tower, the Castle Cellar and legacy barrel vaulting.
Ptuj Castle has been reworked over the centuries and has been flavoured with a range of architectural changes from different periods. However, the Romanesque of the 11th to 12th Centuries is still evident in the Castle Tower and the castle’s heavy foundations.
Many Romanesque structures across Europe were built for defence. In this respect the Tower displays the necessary Romanesque characteristic of having very few windows and apertures. It features instead embrasures in the form of narrow vertical wall slits which may have been important for ventilation, observation or battle.
Keep your eye out for Ptuj castle history in the form of arched corridors and styles of vaulting, the latter capable of spanning large spaces. These could have been constructed during the Romanesque, or perhaps latter during the Renaissance which returned to the classical themes.
No doubt the meandering around Ptuj will make you thirsty. An interesting historical attraction is the Romanesque Wine Cellar beneath the castle. It is said to have Roman and Romanesque origins. Here is a link in lieu of our not being able to access the cellar. https://visitptuj.eu/en/eat-drink/wine-cellars-bars-2/ptuj-wine-cellar/
St Georges Church
Any wandering around Ptuj will lead to St George’s Church on the main square. It would be convenient if the architectural periods were set in concrete and a structure could be defined architecturally by its time of build. Sadly, this is not the case. One architectural period bled into another leading to transitional features. Restorations due to conflict, earthquakes and other also took a toll on the integrity of the original design. Such is the case with St George’s Church. Its reconstructed façade belies the church’s 12th Century build and its Romanesque origins.
The Church of St George’s almost appears to have two identities – a cat with a dog’s body. When viewed from the west the church’s Romanesque origins become apparent. Its western appearance is weighty. The walls are featureless. Flat, external buttressing is absent but could be explained by the thickness of its walls or internal buttressing. The circular windows along the clerestory may have formerly been wheel windows or perhaps something less extravagant to admit more light into the traditionally dark Romanesque interior. The side aisles under separate cover to the main roof are also characteristic of Romanesque churches.
This architecture was important during the monastical period when heavy Romanesque design was necessary for defence.
The Gothic Rises
During the 13th and 14th Centuries of the mediaeval, Ptuj turned to the Gothic for construction and restoration.
St Georges Church
What better place to start than where we are standing – the western facade of St George’s Church.
When you stand in front of the western façade it is difficult to miss the changes in masonry and therefore the likeley changes in features. Let’s pick them out. We could assume the round pediment window high in the western façade is unchanged as a Romanesque feature. The semi circular arch below it may have been a Romanesque window. The central Gothic window has probably been reworked from a semi-circular window without disturbing the tracery.
The portal seems to have been significantly altered. The rectangular architrave around the door is Romanesque. However, that aside, it appears considerable work has been done to fashion a Gothic portal. The semi-circular arch of the Romanesque portal has been replaced by the ogival arch of the Gothic. Romanesque portals featured columns standing on pedestals or engaged columns on each side of the portal which were capped by prominent capitals. Circular masonry moulding, often decorated, stood on the capitals. This is not the case with this façade.
The eastern end of St George’s Church where the apse is located is all things Gothic. The external reach for verticality using ogival arches, stained glass windows and external buttresses is definitive. Internally, the vertical space provides light over the nave which itself sits under groined vaulting. Towards the western end the features become heavier. Sturdy pillars support groin vaulting of a more Romanesque weight.
Dominican Monastery
When you approach the 13th Century Dominican monastery it appears to all intents and purposes to be a Baroque building. However, the monastery was renovated to its Baroque form from its original Gothic build between the 17th and 18th Centuries. The main façade is decorated with Baroque stucco and statues. Nevertheless, the Dominican monastery still retains many of its original Gothic features.
The Gothic architecture remains in the church and the cloisters with the better recognised ogiveal arch and vaulted ceilings quite prominent around the site. You will find the following link worthwhile in getting an impression of the monastery. https://www.archdaily.com/431421/ptuj-performance-center-enota
Minorite Monastery
Much the same applies to the imposing Minorite Monastery near the Drava River. It was also transformed to a Baroque complex having been constructed in the Gothic period. Nevertheless, some pre-existing Gothic structures remain. https://visitptuj.eu/en/see-do/culture-heritage/sightseeing/minorite-monastery/
The images in the link clearly show the remaining Gothic groin vaulting, argival arches and stained glass windows. Note the absence of sturdy pillars to support the vaults as would be the case with the Romanesque.
Ptuj Town Hall
When standing in front of the Ptuj Town Hall building with the knowledge that it was originally Gothic but enhanced by a Renaissance makeover, we can only come to the conclusion that its core is still Gothic. Renaissance alterations such as arched windows and symmetry does not really detract from the overall Gothic presence of the building.
Gothic Unexpected
The features of the varying periods are not necessarily organised by building. Here is a wall with several Gothic features that would have to be sought out rather than stumbled across.
Some Renaissance Sites
The primary years for the rebuilding and restoration of some of Ptuj’s architectural attractions seemed to have been between the12th-13th Century, and then the 17th-18th Centuries. These were the Gothic and Baroque periods and missing in the middle were the Renaissance years. Nevertheless, you will see elements of the Renaissance style in Ptuj. What to look for? The Renaissance style is more intuitive than the styles that preceded it. The style was particularly applied to palaces and cathedrals and projected a symmetrical, geometrical façade. It was a rejection of the extravagance of the Gothic. The elements used in Renaissance architecture instead recalled the classicism of the Romans. This is particularly evident in the use of semi-circular arches, columns and vaults. The entablature is also important, the base of which is an architrave that runs horizontally between the columns across the top of the arch. The cornice rests on top of the entablature providing support for a pediment.
Ptuj Castle
These elements can be seen in the image of the gate leading into the Ptuj Castle which was designed in 1570.
The entrance gate at Ptuj Castel demonstrates Renaissance elements but could be considered a Baroque structure. The gate was constructed using a classical arch and columns which support the weight of the entablature. The horizontal architrave runs across the top of the arch between the columns, forming the base of the entablature. The top of the entablature, parallel to the architrave, is the cornice. The ornamentation of the gate is Baroque, dominated by the Family Crest under the pediment. The three-dimensional construction is designed to produce moving shadows that give an effect of animation.
The other unmissable features of Renaissance architecture in Ptuj Castle are the arcades in the courtyard. The large pillars on the ground floor either side of an arch was secured on its own base, providing maximum support to the architrave stretched across the arcade. Typical of the very classical design of Roman times renewed during the Renaissance. Note the vaulting across the ceiling.
Ptuj Castle Museum
The Ptuj Castle Museum, a component of the Ptuj Regional Museum, is located in the north wing of the castle. The museum states;
“Throughout Ptuj, there are various Roman inscriptions, tombstones, and artefacts that have been uncovered during excavations. Many of these items can be viewed at the Ptuj Regional Museum housed in Ptuj Castle, where you can see mosaics, pottery, coins, and statues that illustrate the Roman presence in Poetovio.”
Renaissance Houses
As you stroll through the streets and lanes of the older part of the city you will find similar occurrences of Renaissance renovation. Look for houses within Ptuj that show Renaissance elements such as arched windows, columns and entablatures.
Town Tower
The Town Tower, on first sighting, could be assumed to be Romanesque due to its staged construction and arched windows. However, true Renaissance towers also featured paired arched windows, particularly at the belfry, and the windows followed a precise vertical separation as one looks up the tower. The dome is Baroque.
Baroque Ptuj
Just as the Renaissance superseded the extravagance of the Gothic, its precision and discipline was opposed by the Baroque. Whereas the Renaissance facade could be considered as the sum of separate autonomous parts, the Baroque façade was a continuous surface. The Baroque accentuated the centre of its façade in terms of how elements were organised vertically in relation to it. The use of curves, even on small elements, emphasised movement and reflections or shadows formed from prominent projections.
Baroque interiors were lavish. Sweeping staircases, lavish furnishings and artwork projected affluence. If you walk along Presernova Ulica in the old town you will see Baroque facades and elements such as embellished window frames and decorative stucco enhancing Baroque portals.
The opulent interiors of Baroque religious or civil structures were due to the materials used in their construction or the use of decorative elements such as ornate ceilings with decorative stucco, frescoes, artworks and attractive furniture. The grand Baroque halls and rooms inside the Ptuj Castle house collections of art, furniture, and historical artefacts from the Baroque period.
Inside the Dominican Monastery the chapel and altars were elaborately decorated during the Baroque iand frescoes added to elevate the significance of worship. The Minorite Monastery was similarly transformed.
Ptuj’s City Hall was altered from the Gothic to include Renaissance elements during the the 15th and 16th Century. The City Hall was then renovated during the Baroque. Internally, the City Hall features Baroque elements including the sweeping staricases
The Baroque was a feature of some of the residences and businesses that lined the streets.
Conclusion to: Visit Ptuj And Its Roman And Medieval Past
Ptuj is both a lovely and interesting venue. It isn’t on the beaten track but if you are travelling through Slovenia we highly recommend you stop off and enjoy what it has to offer. The way Ptuj traces the continuous history from the Roman to the Baroque is an excellent summary of the passage of the mediaeval periods.
