The Church of St Athony of Padua in Belgrade by Jože Plečnik

Abstract

The paper introduces new findings on the construction and furnishing of Plečnik’s church of St Anthony in Belgrade, which are based on previously unconsidered archival material from Belgrade and Jajce. After new provincial head fra Josip Markušić rejected the artistically immature plan of the church, the Belgrade Franciscans appealed to Plečnik. He drew them a longitudinal church with a wide bell tower like the one that was being built in Prague after his plans. As an alternative he offered them a cheaper round church with a high bell tower, which the Franciscans happily accepted. Since Plečnik did not trust local constructors and the construction would exceed the financial resources of the Franciscans, he gave up the dome that he had planned at first. At his request, the Franciscans decided on a more expensive visible brick. Between 1929 and 1932, during the worst economic crisis, the church was built by Hungarian masons from Vojvodina. Plečnik collaborated with Markušić on the iconographic programme, and in 1936 he made a general suggestion on the furnishing. After 1945, agile priest fra Eduard Žilić dealt with the finishing of the church. Plečnik proposed architect Janez Valentinčič as his successor, who, among other things, built the entrance porch and the bell tower. With the latter, he used a reinforced concrete core to slightly relieve the foundations, while on the outside, he covered it with visible bricks.