France Prešeren: The mastermind of Slovenian poetry

One of the most appreciated and celebrated people in Slovenia is a romantic poet called France Prešeren. He is *the greatest *Slovenian poet, responsible for the Slovenian national anthem and many other masterpieces. Prešeren is one of the main causes for Slovenia’s rich poetry and culture and one of the people definitely worth getting to know when you find yourself in the beautiful country between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea.

Picture © Credits to: http://www.gorickilist.si/slovenski-kulturni-praznik/

Like most romantic poets, France Prešeren suffered from an unrequited love, which was the inspiration for some of his best poems. He fell in love with a wealthy girl called Julija Primic and wrote a number of love poems dedicated to her, the most known being "Sonetni Venec" or "A Wreath of Sonnets", in which he vertically spells her name using each letter at the beginning of every stanza.

One of the best and most interesting ways to get to know France Prešeren’s life is by visiting the house, where the famous poet was born in 1800. His birth house is located in a village called Vrba and has been transformed into a museum. In the Prešeren's house, you can have a look at various exhibitions regarding his life and work. The house is located in a beautiful environment, with a stunning view of the mountains and forests.

Picture © Credits to: Klemen Čepič

The Prešeren monument proudly stands in the centre of the green capital of Slovenia - Ljubljana, in the middle of a square named after him. If you observe the poet’s statue closely, you will see a representation of Črtomir and Bogomila – two characters in one of his best-known poems called "Krst pri Savici", also known as "The Baptism on the Savica". A part of the story in the poem takes place at the Savica waterfall – a beautiful place worth visiting when in Slovenia. His most known and most valued work is a poem called “Zdravljica”, also known as “A toast”, that helped in uniting the Sloveniansn and later it became the country’s national anthem.

Picture © Credits to: El Zorro

The 8th of February is an important day for culture in Slovenia, as it marks the date of France Prešeren’s death in 1849. There are various cultural events, concerts and exhibitions being organised all over the country every year. In that sense is Prešeren's day a holiday honouring Slovenian culture and the great 19th-century Slovenian poet. On this day, a large number of museums and other cultural institutions open their doors and invite people to take a look at their exhibitions and collections for free.

Picture © Credits to: Bobo

You won’t run out of options and interesting discoveries, if you decide to research the life and work of the mastermind of Slovenian poetry – France Prešeren. His beautifully and intelligently written poems and sonnets, which are translated into English and many other languages, are just waiting to impress and inspire you.