Idrija
Encyclopedia
Idrija is a small town and municipality
in the Goriška
region of Slovenia
. It is known for its mercury
mine
(currently in the process of closure) and lace.
Near Idrija there was an archeological
find of an approximately 43,100 year-old juvenile cave bear
femur
at Divje Babe
, which may be a prehistoric flute
.
Under Austrian rule it was known as Idria. Mercury was discovered there in 1497, and mining productions were taken over by the government in 1580. See Idrija mercury mine. Idrija was a comune of the Province of Gorizia
(as Idria), expect during the period between 1924 and 1927, when the Province of Gorizia was abolished and annexed to the Province of Udine
during Italian rule (1918–1943, nominally lasted to 1947).
According to legend, a bucket maker working in a local spring spotted a small amount of liquid mercury over 500 years ago. Idrija is one of the few places in the world where mercury occurs in both its elemental liquid state and as cinnabar
(mercury sulfide) ore. The subterranean shaft mine entrance known as Anthony's Shaft (Antonijev rov) is used today for tours of the upper levels, complete with life-sized vignettes of workers over the ages. The lower levels, which reach to almost 400 meters below the surface and are no longer being actively mined, are currently being remediated.
The ghost town
of New Idria, California
, a site of mercury mining during the 19th-century California Gold Rush
, was named after Idrija.
The Parish Church
in the town is dedicated to Saint Joseph the Worker
and belongs to the Diocese of Koper. There are three other churches in Idrija, dedicated to The Holy Trinity, Saint Anthony of Padua
and to Our Lady of Sorrows
.
Municipalities of Slovenia
Slovenia is divided into 211 municipalities , of which 11 have urban status.Slovene is an official language of all the municipalities. Hungarian is a second official language of 3 municipalities in Prekmurje: Dobrovnik , Hodoš and Lendava...
in the Goriška
Goriška
Goriška is a traditional region in western Slovenia on the border with Italy. The name means "the Gorizia region" because it is named after Gorizia, Italy. It is part of the wider traditional region of the Slovenian Littoral . Its principal urban center is Nova Gorica...
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...
. It is known for its mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
(currently in the process of closure) and lace.
Near Idrija there was an archeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
find of an approximately 43,100 year-old juvenile cave bear
Cave Bear
The cave bear was a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct at the beginning of the Last Glacial Maximum about 27,500 years ago....
femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
at Divje Babe
Divje Babe
The Divje Babe flute is a cave bear femur pierced by spaced holes that was found at the Divje Babe archeological park located near Cerkno in northwestern Slovenia. It has been suggested that it is the world's oldest known musical instrument, but this is in dispute...
, which may be a prehistoric flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
.
History
Province of Gorizia
The Province of Gorizia is a province in the autonomous Friuli–Venezia Giulia region of Italy.-Overview:Its capital is the city of Gorizia. It belonged to the Province of Udine between 1924 and 1927 and the communes of Sonzia, Plezzo, Bergogna, Caporetto, Tolmino, Circhina, Santa Lucia d'Isonzo,...
(as Idria), expect during the period between 1924 and 1927, when the Province of Gorizia was abolished and annexed to the Province of Udine
Province of Udine
The Province of Udine is a province in the autonomous Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, bordering Austria and Slovenia. Its capital is the city of Udine....
during Italian rule (1918–1943, nominally lasted to 1947).
According to legend, a bucket maker working in a local spring spotted a small amount of liquid mercury over 500 years ago. Idrija is one of the few places in the world where mercury occurs in both its elemental liquid state and as cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
(mercury sulfide) ore. The subterranean shaft mine entrance known as Anthony's Shaft (Antonijev rov) is used today for tours of the upper levels, complete with life-sized vignettes of workers over the ages. The lower levels, which reach to almost 400 meters below the surface and are no longer being actively mined, are currently being remediated.
The ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of New Idria, California
New Idria, California
New Idria was an unincorporated town in San Benito County, California. It is named after a now-inoperative quicksilver mine of the same name. The mine itself was named in honor of the world's second largest quicksilver mine in Idrija, Slovenia The town grew to support the mining operations, but...
, a site of mercury mining during the 19th-century California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
, was named after Idrija.
The Parish Church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the town is dedicated to Saint Joseph the Worker
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
and belongs to the Diocese of Koper. There are three other churches in Idrija, dedicated to The Holy Trinity, Saint Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
and to Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
.
Famous natives and residents
- Aleš Bebler, Slovene Communist leader, resistance fighter, and diplomat;
- Stanko BloudekStanko BloudekStanko Bloudek was a Slovenian aeroplane and automobile designer, a sportsman and a sport inventor, designer, builder and educator.- Biography :...
, designer; - Aleš ČarAleš ČarAleš Čar is a Slovene writer, editor and translator. He has published a number of novels and short stories. He works as editor in the culture section of the Slovene daily Dnevnik....
, writer; - Karel DežmanKarel DežmanKarel Dežman, also known as Dragotin Dežman and Karl Deschmann was a Carniolan liberal politician and natural scientist. He was one of the most prominent personalities of the political, cultural, and scientific developments in the 19th century Duchy of Carniola...
, CarniolaCarniolaCarniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
n politician and scholar; - Belsazar HacquetBelsazar HacquetBelsazar de la Motte Hacquet, was an Austrian physician and scientist who was born in Le Conquet, France. He studied in Vienna, and was a surgeon during the Seven Years' War. Later he was an instructor of anatomy and natural sciences in Laibach , and in 1788 was a professor at the University of...
; French natural scientist; - Vladimír KarfíkVladimír KarfíkVladimir Karfík was one of the most important, well-known and influential Czechoslovak, and also Slovak architects...
, Czechoslovak architect; - Pier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
, ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
; - Marko Ivan Rupnik, artist, philosopher and theologian
- Giovanni Antonio ScopoliGiovanni Antonio ScopoliGiovanni Antonio Scopoli was an Italian physician and naturalist.-Biography:...
, Italian natural scientist.
External links
- Idrija, official page of municipality (in Slovene)
- Idrija on Geopedia
- Idrija municipal museum
- Local newspaper
- Tourist info
- tourist information, a page in English about the town and its history.
- City portal