As i said in my previous post: [wandering through a magical forest](https://steemit.com/story/@adamicelli/trip-report-wandering-through-a-magical-forest) i will write a separete blog post about the Abanondened Monastery **Žička Kartuzija**.

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The Monasetery of Žička Kartuzija was built in the 12th Century and was home of the Carthusians. It was the first Monastery of the Carthusians outside France and Italy. 

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Here is a wikipedia post about its history:

> The Žiče Charterhouse was founded between 1155 and 1165 by Ottokar III of Styria, the Margrave of Styria, and his son Duke Ottokar IV of Styria, of the house of Traungau, both of whom were buried there. The monastery was settled by Carthusian monks from the Grande Chartreuse in France (Ecclesia Maior), which also financed the construction, led by Master Aynard, and influenced the arrangement of the premises. As with French charterhouses, two monasteries were built here: the upper one (the Žiče Charterhouse), where the cloister monks lived according to the strict rule of the Carthusians; and the lower one in the village of Špitalič for the lay monks, who spent less time in prayer and worked as craftsmen, supporting the upper monastery and contributing to its prosperity. The monastery church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was consecrated on 24 October 1190 by Patriarch Berthold of Aquileia.
At the time of the Great Schism in the western Roman Catholic church in the 14th century, the Žiče Charterhouse became the seat of the Prior General of the Carthusian order for a while in 1391.
The monastery was attacked during an Ottoman raid in 1531. This marked the beginning of a decline in its influence and fortunes. In 1564 it passed into the hands of commendatory abbots and in 1591 to the Jesuits of Graz. It was recovered by the Carthusians in 1593, after which it prospered again. In 1782 Emperor Joseph II abolished the monastery, one of the earliest to be dissolved under the Josephine Reforms.
The charterhouse was allowed to fall into decay. The ruins were bought from the religious foundation in 1826 by Prince Weriand of Windisch-Graetz and remained the property of this family until the end of World War II. Now the owner is the Municipality of Slovenske Konjice. 

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But the most important use of Žička Kartuzija was their huge library and extended knowledge of healing plants. 

There were more than 2000 hand written manuscripts and only 120 of them survived.

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Regardless of all, there are many scary stories about this place, the people who are living in this area have many legends in which is said, that women were enslaved and used for sexual purposes. Women were killed when they had no more use for them.  It is said, that baby skeletons were found in the decaying walls of the Monastery.

Nowadays the Monastery is used for weddings and there is a small Museum for visitors,which is quite ironic. 

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Funfact: beside the Monastery is the oldest Pub from Slovenia,which is still open. It was first mentioned as a pub in 1467. It is known as **Gostilna Gastuž**.

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I hope you liked my small trip report, there will be many more in the near future! 

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