Kostel
Encyclopedia
Kostel is a settlement and a municipality
in southern Slovenia
. It located on the left bank of the Kolpa
River next to the border with Croatia
. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola
and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region
.
Its main landmark from which the settlement and the municipality are named is Kostel Castle
, built on a cliff above the Kolpa Valley. The castle is surrounded by a small market settlement. It dates to the 13th century with various additions over the centuries and was an important defense fortification against Ottoman raids
.
The local church is dedicated to the Magi
and belongs to the parish of Fara pri Kočevju
. It is a single-nave
Late Gothic
building that was refurbished in the Baroque style
in the 18th century.
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 southern 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 located on the left bank of the Kolpa
Kupa (river)
The Kupa or Kolpa river forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia.The Kupa originates in Croatia in the mountainous region of Gorski kotar, northeast of Rijeka, in the area of Risnjak National Park...
River next to the border with Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola was a kreis of the historical Habsburg crown land of Carniola from 1849 till 1919 and is nowadays a traditional region of Slovenia. Its center is Novo Mesto, while other urban centers include Kočevje, Grosuplje, Krško, Trebnje, Mirna, Črnomelj, Semič, and Metlika.-See also:* Upper...
and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region
Jugovzhodna Slovenija statistical region
The Southeast Slovenia statistical region is a statistical region in the south-east of Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Novo Mesto. It is the largest region in Slovenia. It has the highest share of young people with 15.8%...
.
Its main landmark from which the settlement and the municipality are named is Kostel Castle
Kostel Castle
Kostel Castle is a castle above the settlement of Kostel in southeastern Slovenia. It is located on a steep hill above the river Kolpa, not far from the Croatian border.- History :...
, built on a cliff above the Kolpa Valley. The castle is surrounded by a small market settlement. It dates to the 13th century with various additions over the centuries and was an important defense fortification against Ottoman raids
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
.
The local church is dedicated to the Magi
Biblical Magi
The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
and belongs to the parish of Fara pri Kočevju
Fara, Kostel
Fara is a settlement on the left bank of the river Kolpa in the Kostel municipality in southern Slovenia. The municipal administration is based in the settlement...
. It is a single-nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
Late Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
building that was refurbished in the Baroque style
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
in the 18th century.