Schweiger house

The Schweiger house is situated at No. 11a, Stari trg. It is one of the most noticeable examples of secular architecture in Ljubljana, the core of the house dates back to the mid 17th century, while most of the house as you see it today, was constructed approx. 100 years later, by the famous architect Candido Zuliani. The changes were ordered by the current owner of the building, the secretary of the Provintial Court of Justice, whose surname was Schweiger, thus the name of the house.

If you look at the front of this three-storeyed building, you will find that it is in the Baroque style, as well as being asymmetrical, which was a quite uncommon thing at that time. The front also features a magnificent rustic portal just outside the central axis, with an Atlas-shaped console supporting the balcony right above it. The central axis is also emphasized by the coats-of-arms of an former owner and his wife Maria-Farncisca, Countess of Thurn-Valsassina, residing in the house from the year 1749.

If you look closely at the Atlas-shaped console, you will see that Atlas is holding his finger to his mouth, in the sign of silence, symbolising the surname of the first owner after the new front was built: Schweiger -- the silent one.

When you look at the floorplan it is quite amazing to see that there are no right angles in the building at all. All in all this piece of architecture is estimated to be one of the most beautiful in Ljubljana.

maintained by mm