Biljana () is a settlement east of
Dobrovo
Dobrovo (; it, Castel Dobra) is a settlement the Littoral region of Slovenia, close to the border with Italy. It is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Brda. It lies on the road that connects the Friuli Plain and the Soča Valley.
...
in the
Municipality of Brda
The Municipality of Brda (; sl, Občina Brda, it, Comune di Collio) is a municipality in western Slovenia. It is located in the Slovenian Littoral region, extending from the Italian border to the Soča River. It is bounded by Sabotin Hill () ...
in the
Littoral
The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
region of
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, and ...
, very close to the border with
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 ...
.
Name
Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 1233, ''Billgianis'' in 1270, and ''Bigliana'' in 1480). The oldest transcriptions indicate that the name was originally ''*Běľana'', with the later development of unstressed ''-ě-'' > ''-i-''. The suffix ''-ana'' generally indicates a
Romance or pre-Romance origin, but because the name cannot be explained through Romance roots it is assumed that it is Slavic in origin, possibly derived from the plural
demonym
A demonym (; ) or gentilic () is a word that identifies a group of people (inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place (hamlet, village, town, city, region, province, ...
''*Běľane'' (literally, 'residents of ''*Belъjь's'' village').
History
The lords of Biljana lived in a building known as ''Dorišče'' in the 13th and 14th centuries. Ownership of the building changed frequently over the centuries. During the late 19th century, the national revival movement took hold here; the Lipa Reading and Choral Society in Biljana was the largest in the
Gorizia Hills
The Gorizia Hills ( it, Collio Goriziano or ''Collio''; sl, Goriška brda or ''Brda''; fur, Cuei) is a hilly microregion in western Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies on the right bank of the Soča (''Isonzo'') river, north of the Itali ...
. Before the First World War, an Austrian military unit was stationed in the village.
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 activitie ...
in the village is dedicated to
Saint Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
and belongs to the
Diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
of
Koper
Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...
.
Koper Diocese list of churches
The earliest church at the site dated to the 13th century. The current church has a Gothic belfry and a distinctive chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
...
with a wooden statue from the end of the 15th century. The church contains a painting by Avgust Schlegl
Avgust is a male given name.
Russian name
In Russian, Avgust (russian: А́вгуст or ) is a male given name.Superanskaya p. 21 Its feminine versions are AvgustaPetrovsky, p. 32 and Avgustina.Nikonov, p. 63 The name is deriv ...
(1856–1908).
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Biljana include:
* Ignac Kožlin (1878–1955), composer
References
External links
*
Biljana on Geopedia
Populated places in the Municipality of Brda
{{BrdaSI-geo-stub