Cerknica

Cerknica
Cerknica

Location in Slovenia

Coordinates: 45°47′46.97″N 14°21′29.13″E / 45.7963806°N 14.3580917°E / 45.7963806; 14.3580917Coordinates: 45°47′46.97″N 14°21′29.13″E / 45.7963806°N 14.3580917°E / 45.7963806; 14.3580917
Country Slovenia
Traditional region Inner Carniola
Statistical region Littoral–Inner Carniola
Municipality Cerknica
Area
 • Total 14.8 km2 (5.7 sq mi)
Elevation 558.8 m (1,833.3 ft)
Population (2002)
 • Total 3,532
[1]

Cerknica (pronounced [ˈtseːɾknitsa]; Italian: Circonio, German: Zirknitz) is a town in the Karst region of southwestern Slovenia, with a population of 3,532 (2002 Census). It is the seat of the Municipality of Cerknica. It belongs to the traditional region of Inner Carniola.[2]

Name

Cerknica was first attested in written sources as Circhinitz in 1040 (and as Czirknicz in 1145, Cyrknitz in 1261, and Cirnizza in 1581). The name is derived from *Cerkvnica, a univerbation of *Cerkvna (vas) 'church village'. A church was established very early in Cerknica, probably already in the 9th century. The original structure was burned down in an Ottoman attack in 1472.[3]

Churches

There are three churches in Cerknica. The parish church is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary.[4] It stands at the top of a hill in the center of Cerknica at the site of a former fortification against Ottoman raids. It is a late Gothic hall church, a triple-naved structure with lierne vaulting built between 1480 and 1520 at the site of an earlier church that was burned during an Ottoman attack in 1472. A Baroque chapel was added to the church in the 18th century and the church's furnishings date from the 19th century.[5]

The other two churches are chapels of ease dedicated to John the Baptist and Saint Roch.[4] Saint John the Baptist Church is a cemetery church south of the main settlement. A chapel was mentioned at the site in a visitation report of 1581; the church itself was built in 1642. It has a rectangular nave, a polygonal chancel walled on three sides, and a bell tower. The interior combines groin vaulting and barrel vaulting with spandrels.[6] Saint Roch's Church stands in the northern part of Cerknica. It was built between 1630 and 1644 at the site of a plague chapel dating to 1578. It has a rectangular nave, a polygonal chancel walled on three sides, and a bell tower. The altar painting of Saint Roch is a 1763 work by Anton Cebej.[7]

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Cerknica include:

References

  1. ↑ Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
  2. ↑ Cerknica municipal site
  3. ↑ Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, p. 89.
  4. 1 2 Parish of Cerknica (Slovene)
  5. ↑ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 66
  6. ↑ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 1703
  7. ↑ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 1704

External links

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