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Museum · Kostanjevica na Krki, Posavska
Božidar Jakac Art Museum
Museum of modern and contemporary art in the former Cistercian monastery of Kostanjevica, founded in 1234, with long cloister arcades and, in the surrounding park, more than 100 oak sculptures from Forma Viva.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Božidar Jakac Art Museum
The Cistercian monastery of Kostanjevica was founded in 1234 on a marshy plain near the Krka, about 1.5 km southwest of the island. It was a wealthy institution during the Middle Ages and acquired a Baroque form in subsequent centuries. The monks left the site in 1786, when the orders were dissolved in the Habsburg Monarchy. The cloister has the most extensive arcades in Slovenia.
Since 1974, the former monastery houses the Božidar Jakac Gallery (Galerija Božidar Jakac), a museum of modern and contemporary art. The collections bring together works by Slovenian artists, such as the local painter Jože Gorjup, Tone Kralj and Božidar Jakac himself, and the monastery’s old church hosts the most important temporary exhibitions.
In the surrounding park are the sculptures of Forma Viva, an international sculpture symposium started in 1961 in Kostanjevica and in Portorož. Here, the works are almost always made in oak, the region’s typical wood. The meetings took place until the late 1980s and resumed in 1998, every two years. There are more than 100 sculptures in the park and at other points in the town.
The combination of art, architecture and nature makes the gallery one of the main attractions of Posavje.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About two hours, including the sculpture park.
Best time
From spring to autumn, to walk through the park in dry weather. In summers when Forma Viva takes place, it’s possible to see the sculptors at work. The gallery is closed on some days; check opening hours.
How to get there
By car or on foot from the island of Kostanjevica, about 1.5 km to the southwest. There is parking next to the former monastery.
Tip
Allow time for the park: the sculptures are spread across the lawn and along the edge of the woods. Some are located in the town itself, near the bridges.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Božidar Jakac Art Museum
What is the Forma Viva of Kostanjevica?
An international sculpture symposium started in 1961. In Kostanjevica the works are made in oak and remain in the park surrounding the gallery; there are more than 100.
Where is the Božidar Jakac Gallery located?
In the former Cistercian monastery, about 1.5 km southwest of the island of Kostanjevica on the Krka.
How long does a visit to the gallery and the park take?
About two hours are enough for the exhibitions and a walk among the sculptures.