The Church of Our Lady of Loreto in Trenta

The Church of Our Lady of Loreto in Trenta was built in 1690 at the initiative of Count Hermann Attems, the then owner of the Trenta ironworks, to serve the needs of miners and ironworkers. The ironworks operated in this area from the 16th century until the end of the 18th century.

The original building was a simple chapel, barely distinguishable from other village houses, with a wooden bell tower and a roof covered with wooden shingles. In 1908, the church was partially remodelled: a bell tower was added on the northern side, using stones from a demolished former blast furnace. The original smaller bell from 1713, cast from Trenta iron, is now on display in the permanent exhibition at the Trenta Information Centre (Dom Trenta).

The interior of the church was painted in 1945 by the artist Tone Kralj. He worked within the context of the resistance against the Italian fascist authorities in Slovenian territory, which had been annexed to the Kingdom of Italy after the First World War under the Treaty of Rapallo. In his church murals, Kralj incorporated anti-war, anti-fascist and anti-Nazi symbols, while at the same time using his art to affirm the Slovenian national space.

Among the notable priests who served in Trenta was Frančišek Venceslav Luncenperger from Gorizia, who arrived in Trenta in 1715 and is still affectionately remembered by the locals as “rajnki Trentar” (the late Trentar). After his death in 1781, Trenta had no resident priest for as many as 77 years. He is buried in the church, and a commemorative plaque dedicated to him is set into the floor.