St. Stephen's Parish Church, Parish church in Ribnica, Slovenia
St. Stephen's Parish Church is a neo-Romanesque church built in 1866–1868, measuring 50 m long, 22 m wide and 20 m high in the nave. Its gray stone main altar by Ljubljana stonemason Ignacij Toman holds Ivan Grohar's 1901 painting of Pope St. Stephen rising above Rome. The church is one of the largest in the Archdiocese of Ljubljana.
The original sanctuary dates to around 1000 but was damaged repeatedly by fires and earthquakes, requiring reconstruction. The current structure was built between 1866 and 1868, establishing the form it maintains today.
The church is the seat of Ribnica Parish, and its patron is Saint Stephen the Pope. The main altar of grey stone and marble was made by Ljubljana stonemason Ignacij Toman; the 1901 altarpiece of Saint Stephen rising over Rome is by Ivan Grohar, while an earlier painting by Franc Globočnik is preserved.
The building is open during weekend services and also welcomes visitors interested in exploring its architectural details and religious objects. It helps to visit outside of service times to view the interior at a comfortable pace.
The concrete pillars of Plečnik's towers began cracking soon after completion, and repairs were carried out between 1997 and 1998 by the IRMA institute from Ljubljana. Plečnik's student Erna Tomšič oversaw the placing of the tower tops after his death in 1957.
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