Pivka (, ,
) is a small town in
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
in the
Pivka Basin in the
Karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
region. It is the seat of the
Municipality of Pivka. It belongs to the traditional region of
Inner Carniola
Inner Carniola ( ; ) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the southwestern part of the larger Carniola region. It comprises the Hrušica (plateau), Hrušica karst plateau up to Postojna Gate, bordering the Slovenian Littoral (the Goriška, Gor ...
.
Name
Pivka was first mentioned in 1300 as ''villa Sancti Petri super Piucha'' ('St. Peter above the
Pivka River'), and in 1498 as ''Sannt Peter''. The name of the settlement was changed from ''Šent Peter na Krasu'' (literally, 'Saint Peter in the Karst') to ''Pivka'' in 1952.
The name was changed 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 religious elements from toponyms. Before it replaced the original name of the settlement, the name ''Pivka'' originally referred to the Pivka River. This name was first attested in 1300 as ''Piuca'' or ''Piucha'' (and as ''Peucha'' in 1335). The name is derived from the Slovene common noun ''pivka'' 'karst
sinkhole
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...
'.
History
Although the Pivka region has been a strategically important location since ancient times, it became even more important with the construction of the railway from
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
to
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
(the
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway () is a long double track railway, which linked the capital Vienna with Trieste, the former main seaport of Austria-Hungary, by railway for the first time. It now forms the Southern Railway in Austria and the Spi ...
) in 1857 and the railway from Št. Peter na Krasu to
Rijeka
Rijeka (;
Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
twenty years later. In 1930, while it was under the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
control, the strategic hills over the town were heavily fortified and included in the
Alpine Wall system of defenses, which stretched from the Bay of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
to the
Kvarner Gulf. Št. Peter na Krasu and the nearby barracks in Hrastje (now part of the town of Pivka) were one of the strongest points in the eastern section of the Alpine Wall.
Churches
The
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...
in the town of Pivka is dedicated to
Saint Peter
Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
and belongs to the
Koper Diocese. A second church in the
Radohova Vas neighborhood of the town belongs to the same parish and is dedicated to
Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence or Laurence (; 31 December 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, persecution of the Christians that the Roman Empire, Rom ...
.
Museum
The
Pivka Military History Park is a museum with heavy weapons, military vehicles, training and fighter aircraft, a helicopter and a Yugoslav
''Una''-class commando submarine.
References
External links
*
Pivka on Geopedia
{{Authority control
Populated places in the Municipality of Pivka