Cave del Predil (german: Raibl, sl, Rabelj) is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' subdivision of the ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Tarvisio Tarvisio (German and fur, Tarvis, sl, Trbiž) is a comune in the northeastern part of the autonomous Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy. Geography The town is in the Canal Valley (''Val Canale'') between the Carnic Alps and Karawanks rang ...

in the Province of Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Geography

The hamlet is located about 15 km (9 mi) south of the Tarvis town centre, in the valley of the Rio del Lago (''Seebachtal'') between the Montasio and

Mangart Mangart or Mangrt is a mountain in the Julian Alps, located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. With an elevation of , it is the third-highest peak in Slovenia, after Triglav and Škrlatica. It was first climbed in 1794 by the naturalist F ...

massifs of the

Julian Alps The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large p ...

. The parallel road runs further up to the picturesque Lago del Predil and the

Sella Nevea Sella Nevea ( fur, Nevee, german: Neveasattel, sl, Na Žlebeh), at an altitude of , is a high mountain pass in the Julian Alps, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. Sella Nevea also lends its name to a ''frazione'' of the C ...

mountain pass. An eastern branch-off leads to

Predil Pass The Predil Pass or Predel Pass ( it, Passo di Predil; sl, Predel, ) (el. 1156 m) is a high mountain pass on the border between Italy and Slovenia. Geography The pass is located in the Julian Alps, between the peaks of Mount Mangart to ...

at the border with

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. A long tunnel under the pass, built in 1905 and originally used for water drainage and later for transport of miners and political refugees escaping from

communist Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...

, connects it with Log pod Mangartom.

History

The lead and zinc

mining community A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry. Historic mining communities Australia * Ballarat, Victoria * Bendig ...

was first mentioned in a 1320 deed issued by the Habsburg duke

Frederick the Fair Frederick the Fair (german: Friedrich der Schöne) or the Handsome (c. 1289 – 13 January 1330), from the House of Habsburg, was the duke of Austria and Styria from 1308 as well as the anti-king of Germany from 1314 until 1325 and then co-king ...

, at the time when the surrounding estates belonged to the Carinthian possessions held by the

Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg The Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg (german: Hochstift Bamberg) was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire. It goes back to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bamberg established at the 1007 synod in Frankfurt, at the behest of King Henry II ...

. The bishops also gained control over the trade route across the Nevea mountain pass leading to the city of

Cividale del Friuli Cividale del Friuli ( fur, Cividât (locally ); german: Östrich; sl, Čedad) is a town and '' comune'' in the Province of Udine, part of the North-Italian Friuli Venezia Giulia ''regione''. The town lies above sea-level in the foothills of th ...

, the importance of which however diminished, after the

Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giuli ...

an lands in the south had been conquered by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

by 1420. Bamberg finally sold its remote Carinthian estates to Empress Maria Theresa in 1759, who incorporated it into the Austrian Habsburg monarchy. With the Duchy of Carinthia, Cave del Predil until World War I was part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, and by the 1919

Treaty of Saint-Germain A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...

came under control of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...

. A local museum covers the military history of the Alpine campaigns from the Napoleonic Wars to World War II. Under Italian control the mines, temporarily managed by Bernardino Nogara, operated until 1991; since then, the population has sharply decreased.

Gallery

Image:Cave del predil 150.jpg, Military museum

Geography

History

Gallery

References

See also