Brestovitsa, Plovdiv Province
Encyclopedia
Brestovitsa is a village in the Rodopi Municipality
, southern Bulgaria
. The village has a population of 3,718. The village is famous for its grape-growing and wines. There is a recreation villa zone mainly owned by citizens of Plovdiv.
. It is located on the northern foothills of the Rhodope Mountains
on the geographic border with the Upper Thracian Plain
at an altitude of 297 m.
The forests around the village cover an area of 2,500 ha. The relief is rugged with woods, meadows, ravines and rounded peaks. The village is characterized with transitional continental climate. The main soil types are cinnamon forests soil, the light brown forest soil and the mountain-meadow soil. The highest point in the village lands is at 930 m in the Bryanovshtitsa area.
The region has large biological variety. Most of the tree species common in the European temperate zone are presented. Forests occupy 2/3 of the village lands and 1/5 of them are artificially made – mainly pine
and fir
. The most common species among the deciduous trees are hornbeam
, hazel
, oak
, beech
, elm
, lime tree, dogwood
and crataegus
and among the coniferous are several species of pine, fir and juniper
. Around 5% of the forests are used for timber industry and the rest 95% have specific ecological purpose.
The fauna is also very rich and includes species such as hare
, fox
, wolf, wild boar, golden jackal
, European badger, roe deer
, deer
, mouflon
as well as many bird species including eagles and owls.
, silver coins and other objects have been discovered.
There are also the remains of the St Nicolas Monastery constructed during the cultural apogee of the Second Bulgarian Empire
during the 14th century. The monastery was destroyed during forceful Islamization in 1666. Some of the monastery books are still preserved in the episcopal library in Plovdiv including two gospels from the 15th and 17th centuries. There is a theory that the St Nicolas Monastery used to be a literate center.
The village was mentioned for the first time in an Ottoman register from 1576 with the name Birestuviche.
and his son Nikola Zograf from the town of Samokov
.
includes three buildings.
The chitalishte
Saznanie (Consciousness) was built in 1873 by Bulgarian patriots. During its existence it became the cultural center of the village preserving its authentic traditions. The folk formations have interests in all aspects of the Bulgarian folklore. They perform and study traditional songs and dances from all over the country especially from Thrace
. There are currently four ensembles in the chitalishte.
, the first Bulgarian with three medals in one Olympiad
began her sports carrier in Brestovitsa.
Rodopi municipality
Rodopi municipality is situated in the Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. the population is 33,111.It occupies parts of the Upper Thracian Plain to the south of Plovdiv and the northern-most slopes of the central Rhodopi mountains. Its territory is ....
, southern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The village has a population of 3,718. The village is famous for its grape-growing and wines. There is a recreation villa zone mainly owned by citizens of Plovdiv.
Geography
The village is situated at 18 km to the south-west of the municipal center PlovdivPlovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
. It is located on the northern foothills of the Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
on the geographic border with the Upper Thracian Plain
Upper Thracian Plain
The Upper Thracian Plain constitutes the northern part of the historical region of Thrace. It is located in southern Bulgaria, between the Sredna Gora mountains to the north and west; the Rhodopes, Sakar and Strandzha to the south; and the Black Sea to the east. A fertile agricultural region, the...
at an altitude of 297 m.
The forests around the village cover an area of 2,500 ha. The relief is rugged with woods, meadows, ravines and rounded peaks. The village is characterized with transitional continental climate. The main soil types are cinnamon forests soil, the light brown forest soil and the mountain-meadow soil. The highest point in the village lands is at 930 m in the Bryanovshtitsa area.
The region has large biological variety. Most of the tree species common in the European temperate zone are presented. Forests occupy 2/3 of the village lands and 1/5 of them are artificially made – mainly pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
. The most common species among the deciduous trees are hornbeam
Hornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
, hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, lime tree, dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
and crataegus
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
and among the coniferous are several species of pine, fir and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
. Around 5% of the forests are used for timber industry and the rest 95% have specific ecological purpose.
The fauna is also very rich and includes species such as hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, wolf, wild boar, golden jackal
Golden Jackal
The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
, European badger, roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, mouflon
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
as well as many bird species including eagles and owls.
History
The village exists since the 12th century. In the village lands have been discovered traces of a pre-historic settlement. Votive tablets with the Thracian horsemanThracian horseman
Thracian horseman is the conventional term for a recurring motif from the iconography of Paleo-Balkanic mythology during the Roman era.The tradition is attested from Thrace to Moesia and Scythia Minor, also known as the "Thracian Heros", at Odessos attested by a Thracian name as Heros...
, silver coins and other objects have been discovered.
There are also the remains of the St Nicolas Monastery constructed during the cultural apogee of the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
during the 14th century. The monastery was destroyed during forceful Islamization in 1666. Some of the monastery books are still preserved in the episcopal library in Plovdiv including two gospels from the 15th and 17th centuries. There is a theory that the St Nicolas Monastery used to be a literate center.
The village was mentioned for the first time in an Ottoman register from 1576 with the name Birestuviche.
Religion
The Church of St Theodore of Tyron was constructed on the place of an older edifice which was destroyed during a flooding in 1848. The new church was inaugurated on 25 August 1851. It was large enough to accommodate the whole population of the village in that time. The icons were created by the painter Dimitar ZografDimitar Zograf
Dimitar Hristov , better known as Dimitar Zograf , was a noted 19th-century Bulgarian painter known for his icons....
and his son Nikola Zograf from the town of Samokov
Samokov
Samokov is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in a kettle between the mountains Rila and Vitosha, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia...
.
Education
The first school in the village was built for several months in 1835 although education had began in 1800 in a small building with one room. The modern school named after the prominent Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo BotevHristo Botev
Hristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:...
includes three buildings.
The chitalishte
Chitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
Saznanie (Consciousness) was built in 1873 by Bulgarian patriots. During its existence it became the cultural center of the village preserving its authentic traditions. The folk formations have interests in all aspects of the Bulgarian folklore. They perform and study traditional songs and dances from all over the country especially from Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. There are currently four ensembles in the chitalishte.
Sports
The sports movement in Brestovitsa has its beginning in the 1920s when several gymnastics and football clubs were established. In 1982 a new sports hall with 250 seats was built and is used by the village school. Vanja Gesheva-TsvetkovaVanja Gesheva-Tsvetkova
Vanja Gesheva-Tsvetkova is a Bulgarian sprint canoer who competed from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, she won four medals with one gold , two silvers , and one bronze .Gesheva also won five medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with a gold Vanja...
, the first Bulgarian with three medals in one Olympiad
Olympiad
An Olympiad is a period of four years, associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. In the Hellenistic period, beginning with Ephorus, Olympiads were used as calendar epoch....
began her sports carrier in Brestovitsa.