Page 13 - Real Estate Now-Mar/Apr 2022

TRAVEL There Be Dragons:

The Architecture of

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Scott Shpak courtesy REALTOR.ca
hough the history of Slovenia as an independent country dates back only to 1991 after the dissolution of
Yugoslavia, the settlement later known as Ljubljana first emerged as the Roman city Aemona near the current
Tsite of Ljubljana Castle, on the banks of the Ljubljanica River. A city of bridges, like Budapest and Prague,
Ljubljana connected along a trade route between the Adriatic Sea and the plains of the Danube, from Vienna to
Budapest.

The Ljubljana Dragon symbolizes the city, a beast of Slavic mythology representing water, fertility and bounty, along
with courage and power. The dragon may connect with the Greek myths of Jason and the Argonauts, but it’s more
likely due to the association with Saint George, patron of Ljubljana Castle’s chapel. The dragon, part of the city’s coat
of arms for hundreds of years, became increasingly central as Ljubljana’s mascot through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Ljubljana castle
Dominating the Slovenian capital’s downtown skyline,
Ljubljana Castle sits atop a hill in much the same way as
Edinburgh castle oversees its city. The castle also provides
the setting for the dragon on the coat of arms.
Original construction of the castle likely dates back to the
11th century, but the castle’s current profile stems from a
15th century rebuild as a defence against Ottoman invasion