Portraits of the Bishops of Koper

As part of the celebrations of the 1500th anniversary of Koper and the events commemorating the arrival of St. Nazarius in the city, an exhibition entitled "Portraits of the Bishops of Koper" was opened today in the Rotunda of St. John the Baptist. The series includes portraits of all the bishops of Koper up to Bruti, with the exception of Bishop Peter Paul Vergeri.

As the last bishop depicted in the cycle is Bruti, it is assumed that the paintings were commissioned by his successor in the mid-18th century. Although the portraits are painted in a rather stencil-like manner, they have an important historical value, pointed out the curator of the exhibition, Piran parish priest Zorko Bajc .

Some of the portraits were restored by Viktor Povše around 1980, while the remaining 15 paintings were restored by Piran painter and restorer Mira Ličen. The exhibition also includes portraits of other bishops of Koper from different periods of time and by different authors, historical documents of the Diocese of Koper and bishops' insignia.

The event was addressed by the Bishop of Koper, Dr Jurij Bizjak, who blessed the portraits of his predecessors.