Fužine Castle (after the copper smelting activity) or Mrzli studenec (German: Kaletenbrunn after the cold spring of water that was nearby) is a Renaissance mansion in Ljubljana, located along the Ljubljanica River near the Poti ob žici in the settlement of Nove Fužine. The building started in 1528 by Vid Kisel (who was also the mayor of Ljubljana) and finished in 1557 (year above the entrance) by Janez Kisel (Ljubljana bourgeois family, which later became noble). It was built as a residential building, although it has two watchtowers with firing lines.
The Kisel family was enterprising in the 16th Century. They had the first paper mill, mulberry trees and silkworms for the production of silk, fusion plants, a blacksmith’s shop, and a glass factory, all of which were made possible by the proximity of the Ljubljanica River. They were patrons of the arts and great supporters of Protestantism (Jurij Dalmatin and Primož Trubar visited them). With the fall of Protestantism, the family also lost its influence and at the end of the 16th century they began to rent out the estate until they sold everything.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the owners changed, Auersperg adds a pond, a pavilion and a menagerie, and the Jesuits are said to be bad masters according to Valvasor, who allowed the manor to deteriorate. The next time the castle flourished was in 1825, when Fidels Terpinc bought it (Prešeren doesn’t like it because of his wife Josipina). The new owner was enterprising againand is later one of the most important industrialists by establishing production(oil, paper, wood, agricultural products). Fužine Castle once again had an important economic, political and cultural role (Matevž Langus, Janez Wolf and Janez Šubic, Ivana kobilica). At the end of the 19th century, a dam was built on the Ljubljanica for the needs of the hydroelectric power plant and the beautiful rapids were destroyed.
In the 20th century, the castle became the property of the Vevče paper mill, where their workers live. It was used by the Italians during World War II and pretty much destroyed. After the war, there were again apartments there, until in the 80s of the last century when they all moved out and the castle was restored as a monument of national importance. I lived near the castle for 30 years, but during 80’s Dejan and I had various adventures there. Since 1990 it has been under management of the Architecture Museum (today MAO-Klemen was a security guard there). In the intervening period, the French restaurant Chez Eric and various cultural events such as the Three Kings concert were also here. It is also possible to go to Fužinska grad every first Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. on a guided tour about the history of the castle.
