sLOVEnia on VALENTINE'S DAY

"I am a Writer, Not a Fighter"

That's what Preseren would say.

If he could.

Ljubljana, in its public squares and spaces,
places fountains, and dragons, and markets, elaborate bridges, unusual sculpture, and most notably, poets.




Yes, there are many poet heads, poet bodies, poet's playing, and poets with their muses, and poet's lamenting, around this city. In fact, if you were to google famous people and Ljubljana, more poets and artists would turn up than any other genre of human greatness (well, other than doormakers perhaps).


Now, you've got to love a country, that loves its poets. I know, I know, "I'm a lover, not a fighter" should lead this post, but really, that would just be too much of a love thing.



But, it is noteworthy that there is not one fighter, one war hero, one country founder, one politician, or one war-glorifying monument in this entire city -- just some really gruesome pictures in the airport depicting the 1990, 10 day taste, of what could have been a disastrous fate for this beautiful country during its struggle for independence from the former Yugoslavia.

Valentine's decorations at the Ljubljana Puppet Theater

So, since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, let's talk Slovenian poetry.

Bouquets of flowers were laid at the feet of Frances Preseren today. His statue stands just under his beautiful muse in the middle of Preseren Square. The square is sided by the ornate Baroque-style Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, the Art Nouveau Hauptman House, and Jose Plecnik's famous Triple Bridge. It is the center of Ljubljana's socializing district, and is quite pleasant.



Preseren's muse is half-naked, and in 1905 when the statue was erected, the then Bishop of the neighboring Franciscan church protested the proximity of that naked woman facing his church -- too distracting perhaps.


Preseren was a lawyer by trade, but his real love was poetry. Ultimately this avocation became his vocation, and his poetry at the time was fundamental in preserving Slovenia's national identity, which of course is grounded in its unique language. It seems that many poets throughout this country's history gained popularity while stirring positive sentiments of the people's ethno-identity. This, combined with the Slovenian's like of love, friendship, and good will, (as evidenced by the abundance of Slovene words describing just that), is perhaps the basis for their love affair with poets. So maybe it is not that the US idolizes fighters, but instead, like other countries, we just like our nationalists. Afterall, what Thomas Jefferson did with the Declaration of Independence was indeed, pure poetry.

Preseren was born in 1800, and died at the age of 49 from alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver. He had three children out of wedlock, and several very disappointing relationships. His demise at a young age was prompted by drowning his own sorrows in alcohol after being thwarted by his life's love, and after having his best friend and promoter, drown in the Ljubljana River.

Preseren is revered in Slovenia, and to his credit is Slovene's moving National Anthem, oiginally written as "A Toast". You can read it on the adjacent post.

Franciscan Church of the Annunciation,
in the Baroque style















The Hauptman Building










The Triple Bridge










Preseren's view of the castle