The projects – Pilon Gallery – 5-Star Treasury of Art, Štanjel Cultural Incubator and the Museum of Transport and Freight – were selected in the Call for Proposals for co-financing projects for sustainable restoration and revitalisation of cultural monuments owned by municipalities and integration of cultural experiences into Slovenian tourism, which will be co-financed from the funds for the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The Pilon Gallery – 5-Star Treasury of Art

The contract was signed on behalf of the Municipality of Ajdovščina by Mayor Tadej Beočanin. The main objective of the project Pilon Gallery – 5-Star Treasury of Art is to sustainably restore and modernise the Pilon Gallery Ajdovščina in order to preserve and upgrade, revitalise and present a cultural monument of local importance.

The renovation focuses on preserving the existing condition and upgrading it with modern technologies. The latter will enable the heritage to be in line with contemporary environmental trends and make the heritage experience accessible to all, including the most vulnerable groups in society. The intervention is primarily focused on maintaining the heritage in its original state and protecting it from further deterioration. At the same time, the renovation will ensure compliance with modern guidelines and the museum profession.

The signing of the contract fulfils all the conditions for the implementation of the project, which will be completed on 30 October 2025.

The investment value of the project is around EUR 1.5 million (excluding VAT). The Ministry of Culture will provide around EUR 1,178,000 (excluding VAT) and the Municipality of Ajdovščina will provide the remaining funds.

Štanjel Cultural Incubator

The contract was signed on behalf of the Municipality of Komen by Mayor Erik Modic. The Štanjel Cultural Incubator is a key project for the restoration and programmatic revitalisation of the cultural monument of Štanjel Castle. The project will provide innovative ways of presenting cultural heritage and new creative tourist experiences that will allow the place to have a comprehensive and year-round cultural, tourist and educational offer, as well as new entrepreneurial programmes.

The project includes the restoration and completion of the degraded parts of the castle and the launch of new and innovative programme strands that will revitalise the cultural monument in a lasting way:

• a Museum of Slovenian Language and Books with a special permanent thematic exhibition that will provide users with a unique experience of culture and language, interculturality and multilingualism,
• the Štanjel Incubator as a space for start-up companies which are in one way or another related to the presentation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Karst and the development of creative tourism in the Karst, or to the theme of language and books,
• a protocol and conference hall for various events,
• the renovation of the premises of the Lojze Spacal Gallery to ensure appropriate conditions for the presentation of the art collection.

The signing of the contract fulfils all the conditions for the implementation of the project, which will be completed on 31 December 2025.

The investment value of the project is around EUR 1,670,000 million (excluding VAT). The Ministry of Culture will provide around EUR 1,660,000 (excluding VAT) and the Municipality of Komen will provide the remaining funds.

On this occasion, Minister Dr Asta Vrečko addressed the gathering at the opening of the restored monumental Baroque staircase with nymphaeum, which leads from the central courtyard to the upper palace of Štanjel Castle. The Ministry of Culture co-financed the restoration of the staircase, contributing EUR 40,000.

Museum of Transport and Freight

The contract was signed on behalf of the Municipality of Divača by Mayor Alenka Štrucl Dovgan. The aim of the Museum of Transport and Freight project is the functional completion of the renovation and revitalisation of the buildings on the site of the old town hall in Senožeče.

The project includes the restoration of a cultural monument with emphasis on the protection of all indigenous and historical elements, the establishment of museum activities, the improvement of accessibility to the monuments, digitisation and the development of new tourism products, mainly due to the desire to increase the number of visitors to the destination and the length of stay of visitors in the region.

The signing of the contract fulfils all the conditions for the implementation of the project, which will be completed in October 2025.

The investment value of the project is around EUR 2,110,000 million (excluding VAT). The Ministry of Culture will provide around EUR 1,660,000 (excluding VAT) and the Municipality of Divača will provide the remaining funds.