Interestingly, inside many of these buildings can be found the Tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew letters of God’s personal name.

For example, consider the abbey of Stična, one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries, located in Slovenia. It was built in 1135, only some 40 years after the Cistercian monastic order was founded in France. Although the abbey has been renovated a number of times, it retains its original Romanesque style, now with baroque embellishments. The interior is decorated with various paintings and statues. One side altar is decorated with the large gold letters of the Tetragrammaton framed by a ring of silver.

Near the small village of Podčetrtek stands an ancient monastery that traces its origin to the 17th century. Inside, a careful observer will find a fresco embellished with the divine name.

[Picture on page 31]

Side altar of Stična monastery