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The Škofja Loka Passion Play – a masterpiece on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Every six years, you have an opportunity to see an exceptional historical spectacle on the streets and squares of Škofja Loka, which has also found its way on to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Journey to the Middle Ages

Every six years the Easter season in Škofja Loka is something special. The streets and squares of the old town are flooded with performers wearing medieval and biblical costumes. The production of the Škofja Loka Passion Play, the oldest Slovenian dramatic text, is a real spectacle due to the mass cast and ambience. Its inscription on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage also shows how exceptional it is.

Age of the text
more than 300 years
Number of scenes
13
Number of volunteers in the play
over 1,000
Production
every six years

What is the Škofja Loka Passion Play?

The Škofja Loka Passion Play is a penitential passion procession based on a text by the Capuchin monk Romuald Marušič from 1721. The oldest preserved dramatic text written in Slovenian, featuring appendices in Latin and German and directorial comments, is one of the greatest achievements of Slovenian literature in the Baroque period. It is also considered to be the only fully preserved director’s passion book in Europe from the beginning of the 18th century.

skofjeloski pasion_prizor jezus

 

The text of the Škofja Loka Passion Play is based on the Slovenian penitent procession tradition. It consists of 869 verses and is divided into 13 scenes: Paradise, Death, The Last Supper, Samson, The Way of the Cross, Whipping, The Coronation, The Penitent St. Jerome, Behold, Man!, Christ on the Cross, Mother of the Seven Sorrows, Ark of the Covenant, and The Lord’s Tomb.

skofjeloski pasijon_hudic

 

Today, as in Romuald’s times, the Škofja Loka Passion Play is performed during Lent and Easter in the form of a procession through the streets and squares of the old town of Škofja Loka. Groups of performers move through the town, performing individual scenes from the Old and New Testaments and various allegorical motifs.

skofjeloski pasijon_prostovoljci

 

The play features more than 1,000 volunteers, including more than 800 actors and more than 60 horsemen. Most of them are locals from Škofja Loka and the Poljanska and the Selška Valleys, while some of the volunteers are from neighbouring municipalities, places across Slovenia and neighbouring countries. Due to the complexity involved, it is only performed every six years. The next production will take place in 2026.

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A play that is taken seriously

The Škofja Loka Passion Play is exceptional in many respects. It transcends the boundaries of locality and is gaining worldwide recognition by becoming a part of the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Its stories and scenes definitely make you think. It connects people, actors and spectators. Thus, searching for more interesting facts about this magnificent play will pay off.

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Experience the spirit of passion every year

Although the production of the Škofja Loka Passion Play takes place every six years, you can experience this exceptional play and the time in which it was created by means of an interactive online application. Here are some tips on how to indirectly experience the Škofja Loka Passion Play.

The Capuchin monastery and library

The more than 300-year-old Capuchin monastery with its Church of St. Anna hides a real treasure trove of Slovenian cultural heritage. In addition to the original text of the Škofja Loka Passion Play from 1721 and other historical works, the Dalmatian Bible is also stored in the monastery library.

More on: The Capuchin monastery and library (open in a new window)

Visit Škofja Loka

Škofja Loka is a picturesque historical town at the crossroads of the Poljanska and Selška Valleys. The medieval old town is home to craftspeople and artisans, which are numerous in the Škofja Loka area. The picturesque surroundings inspire active travellers and artists who have poured the beauty of the hilly landscape on the threshold of the Alpine world on to paper and canvas.

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In the footsteps of the past

If you are interested in what life was like in Slovenia in the past, it is worth visiting historical cities. Here you can learn about different stories from the past at every step and experience them in a modern way.

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