Cerknica

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Cerknica
Cerknica1.jpg
Cerknica is located in Slovenia
Cerknica
Cerknica
Location in Slovenia
Coordinates: 45°47′47″N 14°21′29″E / 45.79639°N 14.35806°E / 45.79639; 14.35806Coordinates: 45°47′47″N 14°21′29″E / 45.79639°N 14.35806°E / 45.79639; 14.35806
Country Slovenia
Traditional regionInner Carniola
Statistical regionLittoral–Inner Carniola
MunicipalityCerknica
Area
 • Total14.8 km2 (5.7 sq mi)
Elevation
558.8 m (1,833.3 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total4,018
Vehicle registrationLJ
ClimateCfb
[1]

Cerknica (pronounced [ˈtseːɾknitsa] (About this soundlisten); Italian: Circonio, German: Zirknitz[2]) is a town in the Karst region of southwestern Slovenia, with a population of 4,018 (2016 census). It is the seat of the Municipality of Cerknica. It belongs to the traditional region of Inner Carniola.[3]

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.[4]

Churches[]

There are three churches in Cerknica. The parish church is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary.[5] 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.[6]

The other two churches are chapels of ease dedicated to John the Baptist and Saint Roch.[5] 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.[7] 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.[8]

  • Nativity of Mary Church

  • Saint John the Baptist Church

Notable people[]

Notable people that were born or lived in Cerknica include:

  • (born 1948), banker and politician
  • (1912–1986), poet

References[]

  1. ^ Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
  2. ^ Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 120.
  3. ^ Cerknica municipal site
  4. ^ Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, p. 89.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Parish of Cerknica (in Slovene)
  6. ^ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 66
  7. ^ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 1703
  8. ^ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 1704

External links[]

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