Javorca and Franja – when humanity wins
As part of the European Cultural Heritage Days and the Week of Cultural Heritage, as well as the celebration of the International Day of Peace, we invite you to visit the Memorial Church of Sv. Duha in Javorca and the Franja Partisan Hospital.
The Javorca Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit is an exceptional example of art nouveau architecture in the astonishing Alpine cultural landscape. Soldiers fighting at the Isonzo Front during World War I raised the church with their own funds and on voluntary basis and serves in memory of the fallen soldiers of various nationalities and cultures. Today, Javorca preserves the collective memory of solidarity and the joining force of common artistic creation and construction in the times of hardship and represents an appeal towards peace and reconciliation.
The Franja Partisan Hospital was a hidden hospital organised by the Slovenian partisans as part of a wider resistance movement during World War II. It is a unique example of medical care in extraordinary circumstances and stands as a remarkable symbol of humanity, solidarity, and camaraderie among the local inhabitants, the hospital staff, and the wounded soldiers of various nationalities who fought against fascism and Nazism during World War II.
The Idrija Municipal Museum and Tolmin Museum joint project connected two Slovenian carriers of the European Heritage Label. On the open day, come and see the Javorca Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit and the Franja Partisan Hospital free of charge, while the two museum exhibitions in Idrija and Tolmin will teach you more on their history and the values they represent. Usually standing alone, this time Javorca and Franja together bring messages of peace, solidarity, and humanity, reminding us that we must always fight for them.
25 September 2021:
9:00–18:00 Franja Partisan Hospital – Open Day
10:00–17:00 Nikolaj Pirnat Gallery, Gewerkenegg Castle – the Javorca Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit Exhibition – “The Basilica of Peace”
26 September 2021:
10:00–17:00 Javorca Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit – Open Day
13:00–17:00 Tolmin Museum – the Franja Partisan Hospital – A Hidden Gem of Europe Exhibition
As part of the joint project, the Tolmin Museum and the Idrija Municipal Museum, which are in charge of the presentation and promotion of Javorca and Franja, each prepared a travelling exhibition. In the framework of connecting the European Heritage Label carriers, the two institutions arranged for the exchange of exhibitions in 2021. The Javorca Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit Exhibition – “The Basilica of Peace” is displayed at the Gewerkenegg Castle in Idrija from 9 September to 10 October 2021. During these same dates, the Franja Partisan Hospital – A Hidden Gem of Europe exhibition is available for viewing in the Tolmin Museum in Tolmin. As part of the European Heritage Days, there will be two open days: on 25 September in Franja, Idrija, and on 26 September in Javorca, Tolmin. On these dates, both monuments and both exhibitions will be accessible free of charge. The purpose of this action is to celebrate the International Day of Peace (21 September) by promoting the importance of peace and tolerant coexistence among nations, the universal solidarity, and humanity. These are the values inscribed in both monuments and the values for which each one of us should try and fight over and over again.
