Idrija

Idrija
Municipality
View of the town of Idrija
View of the town of Idrija
Map showing, in red, Idrija
Map showing, in red, Idrija
Coordinates: 46°00′4.74″N 14°01′20″E / 46.0013167°N 14.02222°E / 46.0013167; 14.02222
Country Slovenia
Traditional regionalLittoral
Statistical regionGoriška
Government
 • MayorBojan Sever
Area
 • Total293.7 km2 (113.4 sq mi)
Elevation
340 m (1,120 ft)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total11,800
 • Density40/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
5280
ISO 3166-2SI-036
WebsiteOfficial website
Official nameHeritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv
Designated2012 (36th session)
Reference no.1313
State PartySpain
Slovenia
RegionEurope and North America

Idrija (Italian: Idria, German: Idria) is a small Slovenian town that is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Idrija (Slovene: Občina Idrija). It is known for its mercury mine and the production of lace.

The municipality of Idrija was established on 10 March 1994. In 2011, Idrija was given the Alpine Town of the Year award.

Geography

The municipality of Idrija is in western Slovenia and is part of the Goriška statistical region. The town of Idrija is at an altitude of 340 m (1,120 ft),

The municipality has an area 293.7 km2 (113.4 sq mi), and a population, in 2017, of 11,800: 5,920 men and 5,880 women. Its population density is of 40.2 inhabitants/km2.

The municipality of Idrija is surrounded by the following municipalities: Cerkno to the north, Žiri to the northeast, Logatec to the east and southeast, Ajdovščina to the south and soutwest, Nova Gorica (a short border) to the west and Tolmin to the northwest.

The main river in the municipality is the Idrijca river, that flows through the town of Idrija; the river gives its name to the main town of the municipality, Idrija.

The area has a moderately continental climate; the average rainfall is 1,300 to 2,800 mm (51 to 110 in). The least precipitation is in February and July, and the highest is in November.

History

In 1497, deposits of mercury were discovered in Idrija. This is one of the only places in the world where one can find mercury in both its liquid form and like cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). It was only in the 1980s that the mine was closed.

From 1783 to 1918 the region of Idrija was part of Austria-Hungary. After World War II, it was annexed to Italy. Under Italian rule (1918–1943), the area that is now the Municipality of Idrija was a comune of the Province of Gorizia (as Idria).

The town is since June 2012 listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija) because of its former mercury mines.

Settlements

There are 38 settlements (Slovene: Naselja) in the municipality; the main settlement is Idrija, which is the administrative centre of the municipality and is in a valley around the Idrijca river.

Tourism

Some tourist places in and around Idrija are:

Sister cities

Idrija is twinned with:

References

  1. 1 2 "Communes of Slovenia". Statoids. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Nadmorska višina naselij, kjer so sedeži občin" [Height above sea level of seats of municipalities] (in Slovenian and English). Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. 2002. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Population by sex, municipalities and settlements, Slovenia, 1 January 2017" (xls). Statistical Office of Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 6 November 2017.[permanent dead link]
  4. ↑ Milenković, Aleksandar (2007). "Vzpostavitev lokalne samouprave v Republiki Sloveniji v številkah" [The Establishment of the Local Self-Government in the Republic of Slovenia in Numbers] (PDF) (in Slovenian). Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-961-239-131-7. Archived from the original (pdf) on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  5. ↑ "Municipality of Idrija - map" (in Slovenian). Geopedia.si. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Municipality of Idrija - map" (in Slovenian). Občina Idrija. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.

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