In the Herb Garden of Monk Simon Ašič, which we created in thanks and memory of Monk Simon Ašič and Mr. Jožet Kukman, M.Sc. pharm., opened in 2022, you can see some typical medicinal plants and sit in the peaceful surroundings of the oldest Slovenian monastery.
The basic idea of arranging a garden is related to the arrangement of medieval gardens. In the monasteries, where the knowledge of individual historical periods was collected and created, the knowledge of plant cultivation was also developed. At the same time, the skill of arranging gardens was also perfected. In the Cistercian Abbey of Stična, the most authentic example of the design of the garden of that time is preserved in the team. cloister, which represents a typical type of medieval garden. It is an inner courtyard surrounded on all sides by a corridor with a colonnade. In the cloister, you can see the typical cruciform division of the garden into four squares.
At the intersection of the paths that symbolize the cross, in monastery gardens, exactly in the middle of the garden, there is usually an extension where a fountain or a large tree is placed. The division into smaller units optically creates the impression of larger dimensions of the space than otherwise offered by the very limited space of the monastery garden. White lilies and roses were most likely planted in the monastery gardens as symbolic flowers – a sign of purity and the Virgin Mary. In parallel with monastic gardens, secular gardens also developed in the Middle Ages – the so-called gardens of pleasure (German: Lustgarten). They were used for accommodation, entertainment and hospitality. These too were spatially small and limited, properly designed, and contained several garden elements – pergolas, benches, lawns, raised flower beds, shaped trees and trimmed shrub borders.
In the garden of Monk Simon Ašič, the design of medieval monastery gardens and pleasure gardens is combined. In the garden, there is a bust statue of Monk Simon Ašič, who gazes into the monastery church and the living area of the monastery. The garden is also dedicated to Mr. Jožet Kukman, M.Sc. pharm., who after the death of Monk Ašič was one of the first to ensure the preservation of his legacy in the field of medicinal herbs. At the edge of the garden are beds with white roses, and on the east side the garden is bounded by a low hedge made of common viburnum. 26 typical medicinal plants are presented in 26 high beds, which are also used in the healing tea mixtures of Monk Simon Ašič. In the center of the garden there is an apple tree, which can be symbolically connected to the paradise tree or understood as a symbol of one of the main monastery activities related to the legacy of Monk Simon Ašič – the production of quality apple cider vinegar. The garden is also equipped with many benches, which serve to relax the visitors of the garden and monastery of Stična.
You are cordially invited to visit us!
P.S.: Do you perhaps know what the sign on the info board at the entrance to the garden represents? We will be happy if you send us your answers to info@sitik.si.
Visit the herbal garden:
