A 400-year-old church at the Kostanjevica Franciscan Monastery overlooking Nova Gorica shines in its former glory again after extensive restoration, most recently focusing on the presbytery.

Although the restoration is not over yet, scaffolding has finally been removed from the church after seven years to let the public marvel at restored frescoes and stucco decorations.

Since 2017 the lunette of the triumphal arch and the main nave of the church have been restored to their original appearance.

The last to undergo renovation was the presbytery, which was added to the existing church after 1654 and was made of different materials and structure. That phase alone took almost two years.

"At first it looked like everything could be restored within two to three years. However, after the work started, it turned out that there was still damage from the First World War and a major earthquake," Niko Žvokelj, the head of the Franciscan Monastery, said.

The church was partly destroyed during the Great War, but was later rebuilt. Along with the monastery, it was also damaged by an earthquake in 1976.

"The decision to renovate was an extremely important one, and a bold one, but it was also high time to do it," said Žvokelj, adding that a lot has been done in seven years.

The church's crypt contains the tomb of the Bourbons, including the last French king, King Charles X, who settled in Gorizia in 1836, having fled the revolution in his country.

Some of the family's symbols have been discovered anew during restoration of the frescoes in the church's nave and the lunette.

Gems hidden behind seven layers

The restoration yielded many secrets beneath past repaints and renovations done in different periods, reflecting different owners, managers and rulers during the turbulent history of this border region.

The walls of the square presbytery are filled with stucco decorations, small and large frescoes and figures. Most were in a very poor state, some were loose and it was only a matter of time before something fell off.

The restorers, led by Emanuele Querini, relied on the historical inventories and archival sources to establish the former appearance of the presbytery.

They discovered up to seven layers and then, with the help of other experts, decided to remove three of them. During the removal and cleaning process, they discovered new decorations, inscriptions and paintings.

Major discoveries include frescoes on the right and left sides of the presbytery in the lintel: the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary.

They also discovered an inscription by a soldier who spent the night in the church in 1916, among many other interesting details which visitors will learn about on guided tours.

According to Žvokelj, they have spent some €600,000 on renovation, which they raised with the help of parishioners, with the Culture Ministry and the Nova Gorica municipality chipping in as well.

The only part left now is to restore the main altar, erected in 1811 by the Franciscans who came here from Gorizia, now on the other side of the border in Italy. Its renovation is to start later this month.

Church on a chestnut hill

There are several legends linked to the church on Kostanjevica, a hill named after the chestnut forest that once grew there.

The historical fact is that Count Mathias Thurn had a small church built on the spot in 1623. An image of Mary was placed in it so the faithful could meet in prayer and for services.

As the church was more like a chapel in size, the hill and the church took on the name of Kapela (Chapel) - as it is still often called by the locals today instead of the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady.

The Count also had a small monastery built next to the church. The first permanent caretakers of the two were the Carmelites, who for 134 years enlarged and beautified both buildings.

They had to leave in the wake the 1781 edict by Austrian Emperor Joseph II and for nine years the church and the monastery would remain closed. The Franciscans have been running it since 1811.