Lož
Encyclopedia
Lož is a settlement in the Loška dolina
Municipality
in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia
. Originally the settlement that is now Stari trg pri Ložu
was called Lož, but in 1341 a new settlement was begun around Lož Castle
and the name of the older settlement as well as its market rights
were adopted by the new settlement. The older settlement began to be referred to as Stari trg (meaning Old Market Town in Slovene; ). The new settlement was granted town privileges
in 1477.
There are two churches in the settlement. The church in the centre of the town is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul
. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1428. During Ottoman raids
in the late 15th century the church was fortified and a wall was built around the town. The second church is outside the town at the cemetery
and is dedicated to Saint Roch
. It was built in 1635 after a plight
by locals in a 1631 outbreak of bubonic plague
.
Loška Dolina
Loška Dolina is a municipality in Slovenia. It is part of the Inner Carniola traditional region. Snežnik Castle is located in the municipality.-References:...
Municipality
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 Inner Carniola 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...
. Originally the settlement that is now Stari trg pri Ložu
Stari trg pri Ložu
Stari trg pri Ložu is a settlement and the administrative centre of the Loška dolina Municipality in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.The Parish Church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint George and belongs to the Ljubljana Archdiocese. The Parish was created in the second half of the 12th...
was called Lož, but in 1341 a new settlement was begun around Lož Castle
Lož Castle
Lož Castle , also known as Pusti Grad , is a castle ruin above the settlement of Lož in central Slovenia's Lož Valley. The castle and its lordship are mentioned in period documents under various names, including Los, Louse, Lose, and Lösch.-History:Built in the mid-12th century by the Patriarchate...
and the name of the older settlement as well as its market rights
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
were adopted by the new settlement. The older settlement began to be referred to as Stari trg (meaning Old Market Town in Slovene; ). The new settlement was granted town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
in 1477.
There are two churches in the settlement. The church in the centre of the town is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June...
. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1428. During 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 :...
in the late 15th century the church was fortified and a wall was built around the town. The second church is outside the town at the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and is dedicated to Saint Roch
Roch
Saint Roch or Rocco ; lived c.1348 - 15/16 August 1376/79 was a Christian saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August; he is specially invoked against the plague...
. It was built in 1635 after a plight
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
by locals in a 1631 outbreak of bubonic plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
.