Cerkno
Encyclopedia
Cerkno is a small town and a municipality
in the Littoral
region of Slovenia
.
It has around 2,000 inhabitants and is the administrative centre of the Cerkno hills
. The municipality has around 5,000 people.
It is known for the Laufarija carnival
, a spring festival with carved wooden masks; for the Franja Partisan Hospital
(Partizanska bolnica Franja), a partisan
hospital from World War II and as a ski resort.
Cerkno is a small but important local cultural center in the Goriška
Region near Idrija
. The town and its surroundings were the birthplace of many famous Slovenes including Archbishop of Gorizia
Frančišek Borgia Sedej (1854–1931); writer France Bevk
(1890–1970); photographer Rafael Podobnik; historians Milica Kacin-Wohinz and Boris Mlakar as well as politicians Marjan Podobnik and Janez Podobnik
.
The Parish Church
in the town is dedicated to Saint Anne
and belongs to the Diocese of Koper. A second church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew.
belonged to the Tolmin
County. In the 16th century, the area came under Habsburg
rule, and was included in the County of Gorizia and Gradisca. After the end of World War I
, the area was occupied by the Italian Army
, and officially annexed to Italy
in 1920. Between 1920 and 1943, it was part of the administrative region known as the Julian March
. After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Cerkno was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans, and became one of the most important centres of partisan resistance
in the Slovenian Littoral
. In 1945, it came under Yugoslav military administration, and in 1947, it was officially annexed to the People's Republic of Slovenia within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Littoral
Slovenian Littoral
The Slovenian Littoral is a historical region of Slovenia. Its name recalls the historical Habsburg crown land of the Austrian Littoral, of which the Slovenian Littoral was a part....
region of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
.
It has around 2,000 inhabitants and is the administrative centre of the Cerkno hills
Cerkno hills
The Cerkno Hills is a transitional region between the alpine and the dinaric landscape centered around Cerkno, Slovenia. Several passes in this area connect the Poljane Valley and the Selca Valley with the Idrijca Valley and the Soča Valley. The highest peak is Porezen .The landscape is very...
. The municipality has around 5,000 people.
It is known for the Laufarija carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, a spring festival with carved wooden masks; for the Franja Partisan Hospital
Franja Partisan Hospital
The Franja Partisan Hospital was a secret World War II hospital at Dolenji Novaki near Cerkno in western Slovenia. It was run by the Yugoslav Partisans from December 1943 until the end of the war as part of a broadly organized resistance movement against the Fascist and Nazi occupying forces. The...
(Partizanska bolnica Franja), a partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
hospital from World War II and as a ski resort.
Cerkno is a small but important local cultural center in the Goriška
Goriška
Goriška is a traditional region in western Slovenia on the border with Italy. The name means "the Gorizia region" because it is named after Gorizia, Italy. It is part of the wider traditional region of the Slovenian Littoral . Its principal urban center is Nova Gorica...
Region near Idrija
Idrija
Idrija is a small town and municipality in the Goriška region of Slovenia. It is known for its mercury mine and lace....
. The town and its surroundings were the birthplace of many famous Slovenes including Archbishop of Gorizia
Archbishop of Gorizia (Görz)
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gorizia, is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Italy. The archiepiscopal see of Gorizia was founded in 1752 when the Patriarchate of Aquileia was divided. It was suppressed in 1788 and re-established in 1797 as the Diocese of...
Frančišek Borgia Sedej (1854–1931); writer France Bevk
France Bevk
France Bevk was a Slovene writer, poet and translator. He also wrote under the pseudonym Pavle Sedmak.-Biography:...
(1890–1970); photographer Rafael Podobnik; historians Milica Kacin-Wohinz and Boris Mlakar as well as politicians Marjan Podobnik and Janez Podobnik
Janez Podobnik
Janez Podobnik is a Slovenian conservative politician.He was born in the small town of Cerkno in western Slovenia, in what was then the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He studied medicine at the University of Ljubljana, where he graduated in 1984...
.
The Parish Church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the town is dedicated to Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
and belongs to the Diocese of Koper. A second church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew.
History
Historically, the Cerkno hillsCerkno hills
The Cerkno Hills is a transitional region between the alpine and the dinaric landscape centered around Cerkno, Slovenia. Several passes in this area connect the Poljane Valley and the Selca Valley with the Idrijca Valley and the Soča Valley. The highest peak is Porezen .The landscape is very...
belonged to the Tolmin
Tolmin
Tolmin is a small town and municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.-Geography:Tolmin, the old town that gave the name to the entire area , is the largest settlement in the Upper Soča Valley , as well as its economic, cultural and administrative centre. It is located on a terrace above the...
County. In the 16th century, the area came under Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
rule, and was included in the County of Gorizia and Gradisca. After the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the area was occupied by the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
, and officially annexed to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1920. Between 1920 and 1943, it was part of the administrative region known as the Julian March
Julian March
The Julian March is a former political region of southeastern Europe on what are now the borders between Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy...
. After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Cerkno was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans, and became one of the most important centres of partisan resistance
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
in the Slovenian Littoral
Slovenian Littoral
The Slovenian Littoral is a historical region of Slovenia. Its name recalls the historical Habsburg crown land of the Austrian Littoral, of which the Slovenian Littoral was a part....
. In 1945, it came under Yugoslav military administration, and in 1947, it was officially annexed to the People's Republic of Slovenia within the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.