The neo-Romanesque Church of the Name of Mary in Dobova near Brežice was built on the site of an older predecessor in 1864-1865 and represents one of the most prominent feats of church architecture in the second half of the 20th century. It is one of the most significant examples of the church architecture of the 19th century in Styria.
Text by Lucija Fabjančič, OE Novo mesto
The plans were drawn up by the architect Carl Schaumburg of the Styrian Regional Building Office in Graz, and the construction was undertaken by the builder Johann Faleschini and the master mason Franc Chicco (Chicho) from Brežice. Only the 17th-century bell tower was preserved from the old church when the new church was built, and it was rebuilt and raised to proportions in keeping with the new church building, so that it reached some 46m with its high octagonal pyramidal roof.
The bell tower was damaged in the summer storm of 2023. The storm displaced the roof of the bell tower by about 30 cm and caused wide cracks in the roof wreath. With partial support from the Ministry of Culture and the municipality of Brežice, the parish of Dobová, immediately after the disaster, secured the bell tower by removing the roof and temporary ties, and in 2024 undertook a more comprehensive restoration of the bell tower. The reconstruction plan, which included systematic grouting of the walls, horizontal and vertical earthquake-resistant ties, the construction of an AB wreath and the anchoring of the new roof structure, was drawn up by Elea iC of Ljubljana. Based on the photos from the first half of the project. The roof of the bell tower was restored to its original form with a crown of eight triangularly terminated lines.
The church in Dobova in a photograph from 1937 (source: Brenčič, Brežice : a century on postcards, 2010).
Damage to the bell tower after the storm of 2023 (source: ZVKDS archive, OE Novo mesto).
