Štrigova
Encyclopedia
Štrigova is a village
and municipality in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia
.
, the seat and largest city of Međimurje County, and approximately two kilometres south-east of the border crossing
with Slovenia
in Razkrižje
.
In the 2001 census, the municipality had a population of 3,221 in 10 villages. A total of 3,029 people living in the municipality identified themselves as Croats
during the census. Although Štrigova is the seat of the municipality, it was only the third-largest village in the municipality during the census, with Sveti Urban and Železna Gora having higher populations. The 10 villages in the municipality, with their populations in the 2001 census, are:
The municipality covers an area of 44,79 km². The area of the municipality covers a major part of the so-called Upper Međimurje (Croatian
: Gornje Međimurje), which is a hill
y region largely covered with forest
s and vineyard
s. The village of Štrigova is located 202 metres above sea level
.
of the municipality is largely focused on its agriculture
. Many hills in the municipality were planted with vineyards and the production of wine
is a major business in the municipality. There are many wine cellar
s throughout the municipality, most of which are privately owned, but there is also a large communally-owned wine cellar in Štrigova.
Cattle breeding
and dairy product
s are also an important part of the economy of the municipality, although to a lesser extent in comparison with the production of wine, as well as rural tourism
.
, which is the main church of the local parish
.
Unidentified sources claim that this town was Stridon
, the birthplace of St. Jerome (one of several such claims) which is geographically impossible based on the description that he himself made of his birthplace in his De Viris Illustribus
:
The Church of St. Jerome was rebuilt in 1749 by famous artist Ivan Ranger
following the demolition of the original 15th century-built chapel
by an earthquake
in 1738. There are also two historical castle
s located in the municipality. The Banfi Castle in Banfi was built by Count
Banffy
in 1373 and Tkalec Castle
on Kalec hill is believed to be built by local Paulines in the 18th century.
After the Second World War, the village
of Štrigova was populated with Slovenian and Croatian people, and together with the neighboring municipality of Razkrižje
then given to Slovenia
. According to Slovenian sources, due to the Catholic
parish
es division the villages of Štrigova and Razkrižje were given to Croatia
in 1947
People protested and Razkrižje was given back to Slovenia. Croats stopped protests of Slovenians in Štrigova with the terror and massacre of 70 Slovenians
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and municipality in Međimurje County, in northern 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 ...
.
Geography and demographics
The village of Štrigova is located 19 kilometres north-west of ČakovecCakovec
Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...
, the seat and largest city of Međimurje County, and approximately two kilometres south-east of the border crossing
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
with 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...
in Razkrižje
Razkrižje
Razkrižje is a village and a tiny municipality in Slovenia. Traditionally it was included in the region of Styria, lying on its extreme eastern tip. It is now included in the Mura statistical region...
.
In the 2001 census, the municipality had a population of 3,221 in 10 villages. A total of 3,029 people living in the municipality identified themselves as Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
during the census. Although Štrigova is the seat of the municipality, it was only the third-largest village in the municipality during the census, with Sveti Urban and Železna Gora having higher populations. The 10 villages in the municipality, with their populations in the 2001 census, are:
- Banfi – 344
- Grabrovnik – 390
- Jalšovec – 176
- Leskovec – 112
- Prekopa – 271
- Robadje – 187
- Stanetinec – 206
- Sveti Urban – 587
- Štrigova – 447
- Železna Gora – 501
The municipality covers an area of 44,79 km². The area of the municipality covers a major part of the so-called Upper Međimurje (Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
: Gornje Međimurje), which is a hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
y region largely covered with forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s. The village of Štrigova is located 202 metres above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
.
Economy
The economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
of the municipality is largely focused on its agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Many hills in the municipality were planted with vineyards and the production of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
is a major business in the municipality. There are many wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
s throughout the municipality, most of which are privately owned, but there is also a large communally-owned wine cellar in Štrigova.
Cattle breeding
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
and dairy product
Dairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
s are also an important part of the economy of the municipality, although to a lesser extent in comparison with the production of wine, as well as rural tourism
Rural tourism
Rural tourism focuses on participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism. Any village can be a tourist attraction, and many villagers are very hospitable. Agriculture is becoming highly mechanized and therefore requires less manual labor...
.
History
First documents about the existence of Štrigova date from the 13th century, but its most notable buildings were built between 15th and 18th century and include the Church of St. Jerome and Church of Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, which is the main church of the local parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
.
Unidentified sources claim that this town was Stridon
Stridon
Stridon was a town in the Roman province of Dalmatia. The town is located near modern Ljubljana but the exact location is unknown. The town is especially known as the birthplace of Saint Jerome. From Stridon also came Domnus of Stridon, a bishop who took part in the First Council of Nicaea, and...
, the birthplace of St. Jerome (one of several such claims) which is geographically impossible based on the description that he himself made of his birthplace in his De Viris Illustribus
De Viris Illustribus (Jerome)
De viris illustribus is a collection of short biographies of 135 authors, written in Latin, by the 4th century Latin Church Father Jerome. He completed this work at Bethlehem in 392-3 CE. The work consists of a prologue plus 135 chapters, each consisting of a brief biography. Jerome himself is...
:
- "Caput CXXXV, Hieronymus patre Eusebio natus, oppido Stridonis, quod a Gothis eversum, Dalmatae quondam Pannoniaeque confinium fuit..." (Chapter 135. Jerome. I, Jerome, son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which is on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia and was overthrown by the Goths...). Štrivoga is nowhere near the ancient Dalmatia and therefore does not meet the description given by St. Jerome. Also, as written in the original Latin, his birthplace was Strido, which is not synonymous to Stridon.
The Church of St. Jerome was rebuilt in 1749 by famous artist Ivan Ranger
Ivan Ranger
Ivan Krstitelj Ranger was a baroque painter.-Career:Ranger entered the Paulist monastic order as a child. He started to paint very early and in its artistic workshops in northern Italy and southern Germany...
following the demolition of the original 15th century-built chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1738. There are also two historical castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s located in the municipality. The Banfi Castle in Banfi was built by Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Banffy
Bánffy
Bánfi, Bánffy:* Bánffy family ** Katalin Bánffy, a 16th century Hungarian noblewoman, the wife of Ferenc Batthyány** Dezső Baron Bánffy de Losoncz , a Hungarian politician...
in 1373 and Tkalec Castle
Tkalec Manor
Tkalec Manor is a baroque building structure situated next to the village of Štrigova in Međimurje county, northern Croatia.It was built in the mid-eighteenth century and first owned by the members of the Pauline Catholic Order in Štrigova, until their order was abolished by the Croato-Hungarian...
on Kalec hill is believed to be built by local Paulines in the 18th century.
After the Second World War, the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Štrigova was populated with Slovenian and Croatian people, and together with the neighboring municipality of Razkrižje
Razkrižje
Razkrižje is a village and a tiny municipality in Slovenia. Traditionally it was included in the region of Styria, lying on its extreme eastern tip. It is now included in the Mura statistical region...
then given to 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...
. According to Slovenian sources, due to the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es division the villages of Štrigova and Razkrižje were given to 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 ...
in 1947
People protested and Razkrižje was given back to Slovenia. Croats stopped protests of Slovenians in Štrigova with the terror and massacre of 70 Slovenians
Slovenians
The Slovenes, Slovene people, Slovenians, or Slovenian people are a South Slavic people primarily associated with Slovenia and the Slovene language.-Population:Most Slovenes today live within the borders of the independent Slovenia...
.