Kostanjevica Monastery

The Franciscan Monastery and the Tomb of the Last Bourbons

The first small church on Kostanjevica, a hill between Gorizia and Nova Gorica, was built in 1623. The Franciscans have been resident there since 1811.

Beneath Kapela (the local name for the monastery) lies the tomb of Charles X (1757–1836), the last French king of the Bourbon dynasty, along with the tombs of five of his family members and his court minister. Charles X is the only French king buried outside France and the only monarch interred in what is now Slovenia. French soil was scattered beneath his sarcophagus. The tomb is also known as “Little Saint-Denis” after the Paris basilica where nearly all French kings are buried. Charles X’s entourage of 100 people stayed for several years at the Strassoldo Palace in Gorizia, today home to Hotel Entourage.

The monastery also houses a large library with 11,500 books, including 33 incunabula (books printed before 1500), the oldest dating from 1467. Its most valuable work is the original copy of the first Slovenian grammar book, Zimske urice (Arcticae horulae, 1584), bearing a handwritten dedication by its author, Adam Bohorič. Stanislav Škrabec (1844–1918), one of the greatest Slovenian linguists of the late 19th century, worked in this library for forty years.

Reflecting both the Nova Gorica coat of arms and Charles X, the monastery garden contains the second-largest public collection of Bourbon roses in Europe. Kapela is also home to Skupnost Srečanje, the first Slovenian community for the treatment of addicts, where, in recent years, patients with digital addictions have also received therapy.

Visiting hours for the tomb and library:

Monday–Saturday: 9 am–12 pm and 3 pm–5 pm
Sundays and public holidays: 3 pm–5 pm

Knights of Maria Theresa’s Cru Wines 
In 1787, Maria Theresa ordered the classification of the best wine-growing areas (Grand Cru) in the Goriška region. Although initially intended as a basis for tax assessment, this system is considered the world‘s oldest vineyard classification, predating that of Burgundy. Building on this heritage, an association of top winemakers from both sides of the border was founded in 2022. The group selects the best wines from the finest vineyards, marketing the highest-rated under a shared brand and holding an international auction every autumn. In 2025, the renovated Kapela cellar was opened to house the wines of the Knights of Maria Theresa. The cellar is available for guided tastings with snacks, private gatherings, and high-level events — an exceptional way to round off the day. 

Avtor: Blaž Kosovel

Vir:

https://www.samostan-kostanjevica.si/

Renato Podbersič, ml.: Kaj je tega treba bilo ali burboni pri nas, Revija Razportja, št. 25/26, zima 2016 (https://razpotja.si/razpotja_article/kaj-je-tega-treba-bilo-ali-burboni-pri-nas/)

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