Kostanjevica na Krki

For the monastery in Nova Gorica, see Kostanjevica Monastery.
Kostanjevica na Krki
Kostanjevica na Krki

Location in Slovenia

Coordinates: 45°50′46.77″N 15°25′29.53″E / 45.8463250°N 15.4248694°E / 45.8463250; 15.4248694Coordinates: 45°50′46.77″N 15°25′29.53″E / 45.8463250°N 15.4248694°E / 45.8463250; 15.4248694
Country Slovenia
Traditional region Lower Carniola
Statistical region Lower Sava
Municipality Kostanjevica na Krki
Area
  Total 2.4 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Elevation 150.4 m (493.4 ft)
Population (2012)
  Total 703
[1]

Kostanjevica na Krki (pronounced [kɔˈstaːnjɛʋitsa na ˈkəɾki]; also Kostanjevica ob Krki, German: Landstraß[2]), is a small town in the historic Lower Carniola region of southern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Kostanjevica na Krki. Today it is part of the Lower Sava Statistical Region.[3] It is located in the northern foothills of the Gorjanci Hills near the border with Croatia. The center of the settlement is on an island in the Krka River, and it is also promoted as the "Venice of Lower Carniola" in Slovenian (Slovene: Dolenjske Benetke).

Name

The name of the settlement was changed from Kostanjevica to Kostanjevica na Krki in 1955.[4] In the past the German name was Landstraß.[2]

History

The town is protected as a cultural and historical monument.[5] Kostanjevica is the oldest city of the region. In the early 13th century, the Carinthian duke Bernhard von Spanheim established the Fons Sanctae Mariae Cistercian Abbey on the southern frontier of the March of Carniola, which he claimed against the resistance of the Patriarchs of Aquileia and the Dukes of Merania.

Kostanjevica Abbey

The monastery, a filial of Viktring Abbey near Klagenfurt, was enlarged in a Baroque style in the early 18th century. It was nevertheless finally disbanded in 1785 by the Habsburg emperor Joseph II.

The settlement of Kostanjevica was first mentioned as a town in 1210 and received market rights in 1249. During the Late Middle Ages it was an important commercial centre in the Duchy of Carniola held by the Habsburg archdukes of Austria. After several devastations by Ottoman military raids in the 15th and 16th centuries, it lost its importance. After the 17th century, it turned into a mostly rural settlement, which however retained its town status. In 2000, it was recognised by the National Assembly as a city.[6]

In 1945, a mass post-war massacre occurred in the Krakovo Forest near Kostanjevica. The Commission on Concealed Mass Graves in Slovenia has discovered a World War II mass grave of victims of the Slovene Partisans.[7]

Sights

A former monastic complex, which was severely damaged in World War II, has been renovated and now houses the Božidar Jakac Gallery, an art gallery with a sculpture park and a permanent exhibition of works by Božidar Jakac. It is dominated by the Early Gothic abbey church built in 1234.[8]

The town's parish church is dedicated to Saint James and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Novo Mesto. It is an originally 13th century Romanesque building that was largely rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 17th century.[9]

Kostanjevica Cave (Slovene: Kostanjeviška jama), a popular tourist destination, is nearby.

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Kostanjevica na Krki include:

References

  1. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
  2. 1 2 Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 68.
  3. Kostanjevica na Krki municipal site
  4. Spremembe naselij 1948–95. 1996. Database. Ljubljana: Geografski inštitut ZRC SAZU, DZS.
  5. "Odlok o razglasitvi mesta Kostanjevice na Krki za kulturni in zgodovinski spomenik (Krško)" [Order proclaiming the city of Kostanjevica na Krki as a cultural and historical monument (Krško)]. Official Gazette (in Slovenian). Municipality of Krško. 1997.
  6. Žagar, Katarina (October 2007). Lokalna samouprava: organizacija in funkcija [Local Self-Government: Organisation and Function] (PDF) (in Slovenian) (5th ed.). Administration Academy, Ministry of Public Administration. p. 28.
  7. Uz granicu kod Dobove Slovenci otkopavaju kosti 6000 Hrvata, Slobodna Dalmacija
  8. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number 265
  9. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference numbers 264
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Savnik, Roman, ed. 1976. Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 3. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije. p. 145.

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