Žetale
Encyclopedia
Žetale is a village and a municipality
in eastern Slovenia
, on the border with Croatia
. The area traditionally belonged to the region of Styria
. It is now included in the Drava statistical region
.
has evidence of a settlement from the neolithic
era. Žetale was first mentioned in written documents dating to 1228, and old parish documents record its name as Schiltarin. The area was subject to repeated Ottoman invasion
, and thus pseudoetymological
claims that the village is named after a supposed defender of the village named Žetal. In fact, the name is derived from Middle High German Schiltern. As of 2002, the village of Žetale had a population of 390.
and a public holiday in Slovenia
, where pilgrims walk to the church of Mary Help of Christians
, known locally as Marijatrošt.
leaves and fruit. Above it on the coat of arms is a castle embattlement upon which stands the flaming sword
and scales
of the Archangel Michael
.
. It consists of the villages of Žetale, Čermožiše
, Dobrina
, Kočice
, and Nadole
, with a total population of 1,364
, passing Resenik Hill and Medgorje to the eastern third peak. The views available include the forested slopes of Mount Macelj , Resenik Hill, Žetale, the vineyards of Haloze
, and the church of Mary Help of Christians
.
. Nearby is the pilgrimage
Church of Mary Help of Christians
from 1725. The Church of the Archangel Michael
from 1426 stands in the settlement. At Mohor is the Church of Saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus
from the 15th century. After 1507 it became a place of pilgrimage.
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 eastern 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...
, on 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 ...
. The area traditionally belonged to the region of Styria
Lower Styria
Lower Styria or Slovenian Styria is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Lower Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia...
. It is now included in the Drava statistical region
Podravska statistical region
The Drava statistical region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Maribor. Its name comes from the Drava River and includes land on both banks along its course through Slovenia as well as the Pohorje mountains in the northeast of the region. The Drava is used for...
.
History
The village of ČermožišeČermožiše
Čermožiše is a settlement in the Haloze Hills in the Municipality of Žetale in eastern Slovenia. The area traditionally belonged to the Styria region. It is now included in the Drava statistical region....
has evidence of a settlement from the neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era. Žetale was first mentioned in written documents dating to 1228, and old parish documents record its name as Schiltarin. The area was subject to repeated Ottoman invasion
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 :...
, and thus pseudoetymological
False etymology
Folk etymology is change in a word or phrase over time resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one. Unanalyzable borrowings from foreign languages, like asparagus, or old compounds such as samblind which have lost their iconic motivation are...
claims that the village is named after a supposed defender of the village named Žetal. In fact, the name is derived from Middle High German Schiltern. As of 2002, the village of Žetale had a population of 390.
Festivals
A chestnut festival in October is a locally well known. There is an annual pilgrimage called Jarmek held on 15 August, the feast day of the Assumption of MaryAssumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
and a public holiday in Slovenia
Public holidays in Slovenia
There are two kinds of holidays in Slovenia - national holidays and work-free days. National holidays are those celebrated by the state. These include official functions and flying the national flag...
, where pilgrims walk to the church of Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians , is a Roman Catholic Marian devotion with a feast day celebrated on May 24. John Chrysostom was the first person to use this title in 345 as a devotion to the Virgin Mary....
, known locally as Marijatrošt.
Flag and Coat of Arms
The flag and coat of arms of Žetale are a principally green and yellow design, featuring sweet chestnutSweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
leaves and fruit. Above it on the coat of arms is a castle embattlement upon which stands the flaming sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and scales
Weighing scale
A weighing scale is a measuring instrument for determining the weight or mass of an object. A spring scale measures weight by the distance a spring deflects under its load...
of the Archangel Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
.
Municipality
The municipality of Žetale covers a total area of 12.66 km² (4.9 sq mi) in the Drava statistical regionPodravska statistical region
The Drava statistical region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Maribor. Its name comes from the Drava River and includes land on both banks along its course through Slovenia as well as the Pohorje mountains in the northeast of the region. The Drava is used for...
. It consists of the villages of Žetale, Čermožiše
Čermožiše
Čermožiše is a settlement in the Haloze Hills in the Municipality of Žetale in eastern Slovenia. The area traditionally belonged to the Styria region. It is now included in the Drava statistical region....
, Dobrina
Dobrina, Žetale
Dobrina is a settlement in the Haloze hills in the Žetale Municipality in eastern Slovenia. It is made up of several smaller dispersed settlements, namely Dobrina, Dobrinska Gorca, Globočec, Hrastov Vrh, Laze, Male Prekože, Podpeč, Rapače, Reber, Spodnje Ravno, Strajna, Temnjak, Velike Prekože,...
, Kočice
Kočice
Kočice is a settlement in the Haloze hills in the Žetale Municipality in eastern Slovenia. It is made up of several smaller dispersed settlements, namely Boriče, Dobavsko, Jurovski Vrh, Kočice, Krošlji Vrh, Laze, Peklače, Plajnsko, Potni Vrh, Pšetna Graba, Šardinje, Tkavc, Vildon, Vinarje, Zadnje...
, and Nadole
Nadole, Žetale
Nadole is a settlement in the Žetale Municipality in eastern Slovenia. It lies in the Haloze hills and is made up of a number of smaller dispersed settlements, namely: Jesenice, Kofirt, Ložec, Marija vas, Menik, Nadola, Pušjek, Rodni Dol, Sep, Strmec, Topole, Tomanje, Višnjavec, Zagaj, Zalopata and...
, with a total population of 1,364
Nearby attractions
The Jože of Žetale Hiking Trail hiking trail with a precipice on the north side leads from Žetale to Donačka GoraDonačka Gora
Donačka Gora is a settlement to the east of the town of Rogatec in eastern Slovenia. It lies to the south of a hill with the same name. The area traditionally belonged to the Styria region and is now included in the Savinja statistical region....
, passing Resenik Hill and Medgorje to the eastern third peak. The views available include the forested slopes of Mount Macelj , Resenik Hill, Žetale, the vineyards of Haloze
Haloze
Haloze is a geographical sub-region of Slovenia. It is in the northeast of the country, in the Lower Styria region.-General characteristics:Haloze is a hilly area, running roughly east-west bounded by the border with Croatia to the south and the Dravinja and Drava rivers to the north...
, and the church of Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians , is a Roman Catholic Marian devotion with a feast day celebrated on May 24. John Chrysostom was the first person to use this title in 345 as a devotion to the Virgin Mary....
.
Churches
The Žetale Valley has a number of churches. The church of Saint Sebastian , dating to 1415 was built in memory of victims of the plagueBlack 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...
. Nearby is the pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
Church of Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians
Mary Help of Christians , is a Roman Catholic Marian devotion with a feast day celebrated on May 24. John Chrysostom was the first person to use this title in 345 as a devotion to the Virgin Mary....
from 1725. The Church of the Archangel Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
from 1426 stands in the settlement. At Mohor is the Church of Saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus
Hermagoras of Aquileia
Saint Hermagoras of Aquileia is considered the first bishop of Aquileia, northern Italy. Christian tradition states that he was chosen by Saint Mark to serve as the leader of the nascent Christian community in Aquileia, and that he was consecrated bishop by Saint Peter...
from the 15th century. After 1507 it became a place of pilgrimage.
People
- Anton Hajšek (1827–1907): patriot and publisher of the writings of Anton Martin SlomšekAnton Martin SlomšekAnton Martin Slomšek was a Slovene bishop, author, poet, and advocate of Slovene culture.Slomšek was born to a peasant family in the hamlet of Slom near the village of Ponikva in the Municipality of Šentjur, Lower Styria. He studied theology and philosophy before being ordained in 1824 at the...
- Jože Topolovec (1934–2010): writer (pseudonym Jože Haložan)