Ljubljana (Laibach)

[Victrix]

Hi all,

I will be making a brief visit to Ljubljana in Slovenia and wonder what the best places are to see arms and armour? I only have limited time and can’t travel around (would love to see the armoury in Graz one day!). I’m mostly interested in medieval arms and armour and other eras up until 18thC.

Many thanks for any advice. :)

[Luka of Carniola]

Hello,
I would highly recommend you visit the National museum of Slovenia. The museum comprises of two separate buildings located within a 25min walk between each. One is located on Muzejska ulica 1 (Museum street 1) and the other on Maistrova ulica 1 (Maistrova street 1). The first one is a much older building built in the 19th century and houses a small collection of medieval messers, longswords, arming swords and other military items of that era.
The second one is a newer building, that houses some late medieval/renaissance swords, a crossbow, a complete set of a Maximilliam harness and lots of fire arms from the renaissance to the 20th century.

Both collections aren't huge but are interesting, because the items found in the Sava river are in a very good state. I hope you will be able to visit and that you enjoy the country.
-Luka

[Victrix]

Hello,
I would highly recommend you visit the National museum of Slovenia. The museum comprises of two separate buildings located within a 25min walk between each. One is located on Muzejska ulica 1 (Museum street 1) and the other on Maistrova ulica 1 (Maistrova street 1). The first one is a much older building built in the 19th century and houses a small collection of medieval messers, longswords, arming swords and other military items of that era.
The second one is a newer building, that houses some late medieval/renaissance swords, a crossbow, a complete set of a Maximilliam harness and lots of fire arms from the renaissance to the 20th century.

Both collections aren't huge but are interesting, because the items found in the Sava river are in a very good state. I hope you will be able to visit and that you enjoy the country.
-Luka

Many thanks for your kind advice, Luka. I plan to visit both buildings if I have time. I’m sure I will enjoy my visit as I only heard positive things about this country. I even think the elegant first wife of the USA was born there.

[Victrix]

I managed to visit National History Museum in Ljubljana when I was there. The first pictures are from Maistrova ulica which showed some heavy swords (incl. Schiavonas) and a cloak supposedly captured from Telli Hasan Pasha (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telli_Hasan_Pasha) at Battle of Sisak (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sisak). Utterly fascinating history worthy of a feature movie. Reality often surpasses fiction. You couldn’t make this stuff up...

The museum at Muzejska ulica showed some older exhibits from Migration age until medieaval times, and was very well organized and educating. There were some amazing swords there.

Overall, well worth a visit if in Ljubljana.

[fernando]

Good ... very good :cool: . No more pictures ? ;)

[Victrix]

Some more eye candy :)

[fernando]

Excelent.Thanks for sharing :cool: .

[M ELEY]

Why do only European museums have such awe-inspiring groups of weapons! I can only think of a few exceptions here in the U.S; The Cleveland Museum of Art, the weapons museum in Louisville, KY, the Met in NY and of course the Smithsonian. Still, it would seem that every Euro country, city and municipality has their own collection!!

[Victrix]

Why do only European museums have such awe-inspiring groups of weapons! I can only think of a few exceptions here in the U.S; The Cleveland Museum of Art, the weapons museum in Louisville, KY, the Met in NY and of course the Smithsonian. Still, it would seem that every Euro country, city and municipality has their own collection!!

Many thanks for this! Now I know where to go to see arms & armour in the US. :D

[NeilUK]

That's some collection of swords, especially the mediaeval ones. Ljubljana is now on my list to visit! Many thanks for posting your photos, Victrix.
Neil

[Luka of Carniola]

I'm glad I could be of help. And thank you for posting the pictures, even though I saw them recently its still nice to see them again.

[Victrix]

I'm glad I could be of help. And thank you for posting the pictures, even though I saw them recently its still nice to see them again.

Many thanks again Luka for guiding me where to go, especially as I had limited time at my disposal. The swords were really rather big, especially those schiavonas, tesaks, and (as I believe they are called?) Schiavonesca swords. Your ancestors must have been built like bears. :)

[Luka of Carniola]

Yes the swords they have are fantastic, the messers are especially my favorite. I have also seen all the weapons they hold in storage and they are amazing. They have a couple of schiavonnas, lots of yagatans and even another zweihander who's blade is forge welded from two pieces and and looks really bizarre. I wish one day they can properly display them all.
I guess so they had to be very strong since they faced constant threats from the turks and their own nobility.
:)