Vipava, Slovenia
| Vipava Občina Vipava |
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| — Town and Municipality — | |
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 Vipava
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| Coordinates: 45°51′N 13°58′E / 45.85°N 13.967°ECoordinates: 45°51′N 13°58′E / 45.85°N 13.967°E | |
| Country |  Slovenia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ivan Princes |
| Area | |
| • Total | 107.4 km2 (41.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2002)[1] | |
| • Total | 5,185 |
| • Density | 48.3/km2 (125/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+02) |
Vipava (Italianized: Vipacco, German: Wippach) is a small town in western Slovenia with 1500 inhabitants. It is the center of a municipality with 5,185 people. Vipava is built near the numerous sources of the Vipava River, in the upper Vipava Valley, 102 m above sea level. Historically, it used to be a part of the traditional region of Inner Carniola, but it is now generally regarded as a part of the Slovenian Littoral.[2]
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[edit] History
The region around the town was probably settled by the Illyrians and Celts in the pre-Roman era. Some trace the name Vipava to the Celtic root vip (river). In 394, the Battle of the Frigidus took place in the vicinity of the town. In the late 6th century, Slavic tribes, ancestors of modern Slovenes, settled the area. In the late 8th century, the Vipava Valley was included in the Frankish Empire and the Christianization of Slovenes started.
In the Middle Ages, the valley was first included in the Duchy of Friuli. Between 1340 and 1355, Vipava and its surroundings were constantly contended between the Counts of Gorizia, the Patriarches of Aquileia and the Habsburg Duchy of Carniola. Modern Vipava was first mentioned in 1367. In the same period, it was finally included in the County of Gorizia. After a short Venetian interim, Vipava fell under the Habsburg domain in 1501 and in 1535 it was included in Carniola. In the mid-16th century, it emerged as an important center of the Protestant Reformation. It remained part of Carniola until 1918, when it was occupied by the Italian troops and annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
In the period between 1922 and 1943, it was subjected to a violent policy of Fascist Italianization. Many locals joined the militant antifascist organization TIGR. During World War II, the whole area became an important center of partisan resistance. In 1945, it was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisan troops and in 1947 it became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and of independent Slovenia in 1991.
Today it is part of the Goriška region.
[edit] Economy
Vipava is an important agricultural center of western Slovenia. It is renowned for its wine production. Tourism is also important, as well as small and medium-sized businesses. Many locals work in the nearby town of Ajdovščina.
[edit] Language, culture and religion
The vast majority of the people of Vipava, around 93%, are Slovenes. Others are mostly descendents of immigrants from other regions of former Yugoslavia. Over 96% of the people use Slovene as their first language; among remaining 4% of the people, major part speak Bosnian as their first language.[3] The native inhabitants speak a variant of the Inner Carniolan dialect of Slovene.
Around 77% of the people profess the Catholic faith, a little less than 1% are adherents of Sunni Islam, while others are irreligious. The parish church in the town is dedicated to Saint Stephen and belongs to the Diocese of Koper.[4]
[edit] Division
The municipality of Vipava is subdivided into 11 local communities (Slovene: krajevne skupnosti), which comprise one or more villages. They are: Vipava, Erzelj, Goče, Gradišče pri Vipavi, Lozice, Lože, Manče, Podnanos, Podraga, Slap, and Vrhpolje.
[edit] Prominent natives and residents
Notable personalities from Vipava include:
- Drago Bajc (1904–1928), poet;
- Andreas Baumkirchner (1420–1471), nobleman, leader of an unsuccessful conspiracy against Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor;
- Sigismund von Herberstein (1486–1566), diplomat and author;
- Eva Irgl (b. 1976), TV host and politician (Slovenian Democratic Party);
- Štefan Kociančič (1813–1883), theologian and translator;
- Sebastian Krelj (1538–1567), Slovene Protestant writer and preacher;
- Anton Lavrin (1789–1869), Austrian diplomat and Egyptologist;
- Marko Natlačen (1886–1942), politician, governor of the Drava Banovina (1935–1941);
- Janko Premrl (a.k.a. Vojko, 1920–1943), Slovene anti-fascist activist and resistance leader;
- Stanko Premrl (1880–1965), composer, author of the music for the Slovenian National Anthem.
[edit] References
- ^ Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002
- ^ Vipava municipal site
- ^ Statistični urad RS "Population by language usually spoken in the household (family), municipalities, Slovenia, 2002 Census". http://www.stat.si/popis2002/en/rezultati/rezultati_red.asp?ter=OBC&st=92 Statistični urad RS. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
- ^ Koper Diocese list of churches
[edit] External links
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