The Škofja Loka Passion Play

Among the treasures still preserved today in the Capuchin Library in Škofja Loka is the famous manuscript of the Škofja Loka Passion (Processio Locopolitana). The manuscript was written in 1721 by Capuchin Father Romuald – Lovrenc Marušič (1676, Štandrež near Gorica – 1748, Gorica), who worked in Škofja Loka as a preacher and procession leader (magister processionis) between 1715 and 1727.

The Škofja Loka Passion Play originated in the environment of the Capuchin monastery and the Church of St. Anne, built in 1709, where contemplation of Christ's suffering was the center of spiritual life. By staging Passion processions, the Capuchins wanted to bring the mystery of Christ's salvation closer to the people and deepen their faith. The first attempts to revive the Škofja Loka Passion Play in the 20th century date back to 1936, when it was staged in the courtyard of the town school under the title Škofja Loka Passion Procession. The performance involved 165 amateur actors from Škofja Loka and the surrounding villages and was watched by around 5,000 spectators. This was followed by a performance in the Church of St. Anne and a complete revival of the Passion in the form of a procession through the streets of Škofja Loka in 1999, 2000, 2009, and 2015.

The Škofja Loka Passion Play is today considered the oldest preserved dramatic text in the Slovenian language, with parts in Latin and German and extensive director's notes. It is the only completely preserved Passion play book in Europe from the early 18th century. The text, consisting of 865 verses and 13 images, follows the tradition of Slovenian penitential processions, which originated in medieval liturgical processions. Individual images – including Paradise, Death, Flagellation, Christ on the Cross, and God's Tomb – connect biblical scenes and allegorical images that lead people to penance and hope for salvation.

Following a centuries-old tradition, the Škofja Loka Passion Play is still performed today during Lent and Easter as a procession through the streets and squares of the old town center.

The town is transformed into a stage on which more than a thousand performers – actors, musicians, horsemen with more than 60 horses, costume designers, and volunteers – bring to life scenes from the Old and New Testaments and the Baroque period. In 2016, the Škofja Loka Passion Play was the first Slovenian living tradition to be inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is an exceptional example of the intertwining of art, faith, and community, passed down from generation to generation.

The next performance will be the first since the Škofja Loka Passion Play was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The dates of the performances in 2026 are as follows:

Saturday, March 21, at 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 22, at 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 28, at 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 29, at 4 p.m.

Easter Monday, April 6, at 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m.

Sunday, April 12, at 4 p.m.

The venues for the Škofja Loka Passion Play are located in the center of the thousand-year-old town of Škofja Loka: Town Square, Square below the Castle, Lower Square, and Freising Square, where the venue is specially adapted for disabled persons, deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, who can follow the performance with the help of a Slovenian sign language interpreter, and visually impaired and blind visitors, who can use technical aids.

We invite you to join us for an unforgettable experience of the rich cultural and spiritual tradition of the Škofja Loka Passion Play, where you will feel the depth of Christ's suffering, the power of community, and the message of hope and salvation that has united generations for more than three centuries through this unique Baroque performance.

Photo: View of the evening performance of the Škofja Loka Passion Play in 2009. Photo by Jana Jocif.

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