Page 42 - slovenia

SLOVENSKE KONJICE

lovenske Konjice is another quaint Slovenian town
where its history is woven into the modern fabric
of life. Reminders of the past – good times and
Snot so good – greeted us all around the old village.
Figures of horses abound, for example, reminders that the
town was a crossroads for horse riders and carriages for
many years, when its main industry was care and trading of
the great steeds.

Brave St. George is a significant character here too. Inside
the church built in 1140 that bears his name, we discovered
a magnificent alter with an 18th-century golden sculpture of
the youthful, round-faced knight. Under his heel is a small
vanquished golden dragon, a reminder of the town’s destruc-
tion by fire four times over the centuries. After the last fire the
town was rebuilt mostly using stones from the nearby ruins
of the Zice Charterhouse.

Our guide recounted the local legend that virgins were sent
to the dragon as an offering to keep the beast from torching
things. The deal worked for several years until the daugh-
ter of the town’s leader was next to be sacrificed. Enter St.
George who slays the dragon, marries the fair maiden and
lives happily after.

Church of St. George with full slain dragon.
Lower center: Herb shop keeper in period
dress.
Right: The figure of a horse is a symbol of
the town’s past and can be seen in several
forms around the village.

42 WDT MAGAZINE SPRING 2017