Spodnji Otok
Encyclopedia
Spodnji Otok is a village in the Radovljica
municipality in the Upper Carniola
region of Slovenia
.
A document from 1326 mentions the village Otok as Werd. Between 1326 and 1331 two members of Polish
gentry
Jurij and Nikolaj moved to the area and Jurij had his mansion
in Spodnji Otok. Part of this lineage is mentioned as living in the area during the early period of reign of the Counts of Celje
..
The church of St John the Baptist lies on a hill right by the village. In the 15th and 16th century during the period of Turkish raids
it was a defence post, protected by defensive walls. Legends say that the churchbells would start ringing of their own accord when the enemy would approach and scare them away. In remembrance of these raids the bells are still rung every day at eleven o'clock. The church is decorated with fresco
s from around 1460. The frescos on the porch painted by Jernej of Loka
are largely lost, but the remaining frescos were recently restored and conserved.
Radovljica
Radovljica is a town and a municipality in in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. The municipality has around 18,000 inhabitants and an area of 118 km²...
municipality in the Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jesenice, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kamnik, and Domžale.- Historical background :...
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...
.
A document from 1326 mentions the village Otok as Werd. Between 1326 and 1331 two members of Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
Jurij and Nikolaj moved to the area and Jurij had his mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in Spodnji Otok. Part of this lineage is mentioned as living in the area during the early period of reign of the Counts of Celje
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Cilli or Celje represent the most important medieval aristocratic and ruling house with roots and territory in present-day Slovenia....
..
The church of St John the Baptist lies on a hill right by the village. In the 15th and 16th century during the period of Turkish 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 :...
it was a defence post, protected by defensive walls. Legends say that the churchbells would start ringing of their own accord when the enemy would approach and scare them away. In remembrance of these raids the bells are still rung every day at eleven o'clock. The church is decorated with fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s from around 1460. The frescos on the porch painted by Jernej of Loka
Jernej of Loka
Jernej of Loka was a 16th-century painter active in the Škofja Loka area, from which his epithet is also derived. He is known to have painted the frescoes in a number of other churches throughout the Upper Carniola region and some in the area of Tolmin and in the Natisone Valley .Churches where...
are largely lost, but the remaining frescos were recently restored and conserved.