St. Peter's Parish Church (Ljubljana)

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St. Peter's Parish Church (Slovene: Župnijska cerkev sv. Petra, Šempetrska cerkev or Šentpetrska cerkev) is a Roman Catholic church in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is one of the city’s oldest churches and serves as the seat of the Ljubljana–St. Peter parish. The church stands in the Center District at the corner of Trubarjeva cesta, Njegoševa cesta and Zaloška cesta, near Croatian Square. The University Medical Centre Ljubljana is nearby.

The site once had a church probably built around the turn of the 9th century by order of Paulinus II, Patriarch of Aquileia, serving as the seat of Ljubljana’s Primitive Parish. It was surrounded by a cemetery that was Ljubljana’s main town cemetery until 1779.

The present building was erected in Baroque style from 1730 to 1733, based on plans by Carlo Martinuzzi and modeled after Venice’s Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. Giovanni Fusconi drafted the model and provided technical advice. The church was built by master builder Gregor Maček Jr., and its interior layout has remained from that period.

After the 1895 Ljubljana earthquake, architect Raimund Jeblinger renovated the church in a neo-Baroque style, a project that drew criticism for its quality. Another renovation followed between 1938 and 1940. The façade was completely remodeled by Ivan Vurnik, while Helena Vurnik added new interior decorations and mosaics. The ceiling frescoes were painted by Fran Jelovšek, and the altar paintings by Valentin Metzinger.

Historic names are reflected in the area: until 1952, Trubar Street was known as St. Peter’s Street, and the nearby St. Peter’s Bridge across the Ljubljanica is named after the church. The church also gave its name to the former barracks at Vraz Square.