Ravne na Koroškem (; until 1952: ''Guštanj''; german: Gutenstein in Kärnten) is a town in northern

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 ...

. It is the seat of the

Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem The Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem ( sl, Občina Ravne na Koroškem) is a municipality in the traditional region of Carinthia in northern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Ravne na Koroškem. Ravne na Koroškem became a mu ...

, and the largest town and the capital of Slovenia's Carinthia region. The town has a long tradition in the steel industry.

Name

The name ''Ravne na Koroškem'' literally means 'Ravne in Carinthia'. The word ''ravne'' means 'flat terrain' in Slovene, and is a common place name in Slovene-inhabited territories. The name of the settlement was changed from ''Guštanj'' (from German ''Gutenstein'') to ''Ravne na Koroškem'' in 1952 on the basis of the 1948 ''Law on Names of Settlements and Designations of Squares, Streets, and Buildings'' as part of efforts by Slovenia's postwar communist government to remove German elements from toponyms.

History

Part of the Duchy of Carinthia from 976, King

Henry II of Germany Henry II (german: Heinrich II; it, Enrico II; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry the Exuberant, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor ("Romanorum Imperator") from 1014. He died without an heir in 1024, and was the last ruler o ...

granted the area to the Bishops of Bamberg in 1007. The settlement was first mentioned as ''Gutenstain'' in a 1263 deed. Ravne na Koroškem was granted town status in 1952. The history of the

steel industry Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant t ...

in the town goes back 380 years.

Church

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Giles and belongs to the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor ( la, Archidioecesis Mariborensis, sl, Nadškofija Maribor) is an archdiocese located in the city of Maribor in Slovenia. History * 1859 : Maribor (then Marburg) became the see of the Diocese of Lavant ...

. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1331. It was re-vaulted in the 17th century.

Culture

Ravne is also known for excellent jazz. Concerts of th
Jazz Ravne
cycle are held throughout the year and th
Festival of Slovenian Jazz
takes place each October.

In fiction

One of

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...

's quatrains that is localized to southeast Europe has the following couplet: :which translates to

Mario Reading Mario Gilbert Priester-Reading (10 August 1953 – 29 January 2017) was a British author. Reading was born in Bournemouth in 1953, son of Gordon and Lieselotte Reading. He was brought up in England, Germany, and the South of France, and educated ...

translates the third line as "throughout enslaved-Slovenia," finding no other meaning and stipulates that the town will be either the conception or birthplace of the third and last Antichrist. He interprets the first lines as indicating "bad luck will come to those countries abutting the place"—Baleni Romini and Dalmatia are the specific afflicted places mentioned—and ascribes the index date 2032 based on the original manuscript number 32. Mostly as a result of line three (the first line above) this place, the author considers Ravne na Koroškem the most likely of the three places named Ravenne in Europe that unwittingly hosts the creation of this globally inhumane person.''The Complete Prophesies of Nostradamus'' Mario Reading, 2009 (Watkins Publishing, London)

Gallery

File:Ravne na Koroskem.jpg, Ravne na Koroškem and Mount Peca File:RavneKoroska-hise.JPG, Prežih Street () File:DvorecRavne.jpg, Ravne Mansion, Castle Park File:Razglednica Raven na Koroškem 1967.jpg, Postcard of Ravne na Koroškem, 1967 File:Razglednica Raven na Koroškem 1955.jpg, Postcard of Ravne na Koroškem, 1955

References

External links

Ravne na Koroškem on Geopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ravne na Koroskem Populated places in the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem Cities and towns in Carinthia (Slovenia)