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September 30, 2009

Excavations Bring New Information on Ljubljana’s
History

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Ljubljana, 22 September (STA) - In the recent months Ljubljana has been hosting one of the largest teams of archaeologists in Slovenia. Excavations that are being carried out on several sites around the city are adding new pieces to the mosaic of Ljubljana’s history.

The findings bring new information on the area in the prehistoric times, archaeologist Martin Horvat, who heads the excavations, told the press last week, highlighting a settlement under the Ljubljana castle hill. 

The excavations on the building site of a parking house in the Kongresni trg square meanwhile revealed new facts about the defence and suburbs of the ancient city of Emona.

The archaeologists also found parts of buildings with a floor heating system and a mosaic and frescoes from the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., and urns from the Iron Age. The square also hid remnants from the Modern era: a late 16th century bastion, a defence trench and a building, possibly a guardhouse.

A Capuchin monastery stood in the area of the Zvezda park, built in early 16th century. It was demolished in 1817 and a park was made on the spot in 1824.

The excavations also revealed some more recent remains - a pavement designed by architect Joze Plecnik, the remnants of foundations for a statute of General Radetzky and for a statute of King of Yugoslavia Aleksander Karadjordjevic, and of shelters built in 1943. In the 11th and 12th centuries a Middle Ages settlement has developed under the castle hill, which comprised three streets in what is today known as the old town centre.

Pre-excavation works in the Kopitarjeva street have meanwhile revealed layers from the baroque, Middle Ages and Antiquity.

The processing of artifacts will take a while and first papers on the findings are expected next year, while an exhibition displaying Ljubljana’s metamorphoses could be but put up in two to three years, Blaz Persin, acting director of the Ljubljana City Museum and Gallery said.