Smartno / Sankt Martin / Šmartno in Cerklje na Gorenjskem

A stone vessel kept in the tower space of this church appears to be an old baptismal font; it is tub-shaped and of very crude workmanship, devoid of any ornamentation on it; the presence of metal staples at opposite ends of the upper rim may provide confirmation that the object was indeed used as a baptismal font with a cover. A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 15 September 2022) notes: "The church of St. Martin was built on and from ancient ruins, probably in the ninth century. It was the first church in Cerkljan region after the so-called migration of nations. According to folk tradition, the manor Brnikar, who ruled the area, had the church built. He is also said to have founded the nearby village of Brnik. For about two centuries, people worshiped in it, and buried their relatives next to it, before the church center was moved to the present Cerklje. For the first time, the church is mentioned indirectly through the name of the village of Sand Marttein in 1387. An uncertain tradition says that the large stone vessel in the bell tower is a medieval baptismal stone, and the next oldest remnant is a triangular fragment of the main portal of the old church with plant ornamentation from the end of the seventeenth century [source: Blaž Močnik, Churches in the parish of Cerklje na Gorenjska, January 2018]"