about Solkan

ABOUT SOLKAN

Solkan is a well known town in Slovenia and abroad. After breaking through the canyon between Sabotin and Skalnica, the Soča river created the Goriška plain. In the north and south the plain is surrounded by:

the Banjšice plateau,

The Trnovo plateau and the Karst,

and in the west by Goriška brda.

the cherry-tree in blossoms, Goriška brda

The Italian border crosses Brda, the Goriška plain and the Karst all the way down to Slovensko Primorje. There are several minor and two international border crossings (Rožna dolina and Vrtojba). A modern highway, running along the fertile Vipavska valley, is going to connect Goriška to Razdrto and Ljubljana and in this way enable better exchange of goods and ideas.

More about Solkan you can find in our project BRIDGES

THE HISTORY OF SOLKAN

In 1001 Solkan was for the first time mentioned as Castrum Silicanum. The first settlement was situated around the church of St. Stefan. The houses were arranged in the form of a horse-shoe. For 200 years the parish included also the town of Gorica.

In 1370 Solkan was known under the name of Zelkonn. In 1460 the community of Solkan became part of the Gorica country court.

In the 15^th century (1477) the Turks (around 10 000) had their camps on the territory of Solkan and committed robberies in the neighbourhood.

In 1705 Marko A. Plenčič, a medical student and an expert on the preservation of corn, was born in Solkan. The square in front of the church is named after him. He died in Vienna, 25^th November, 1786.

1713 was the year of a great peasant rebellion in Tolmin, about 40 kilometres to the north.

In 1797 the Napoleon's soldiers marched through Solkan.

The 19^th century is marked by SLOVENSTVO (the nationalistic movement).

In 1825 schools were founded .

In 1867 dr. Karel Lavrič founded the 21^st Slovenian reading-society called the Solkan reading-society. Matija Doljak, the major of Solkan, was its president until his death in 1875.

THE SOLKAN JOINERS

Joinery was spread throughout Slovenia nevertheless, two groups stood out, i.e.

the joiners of Šentvid and
Vižmarje and the joiners of Solkan

This trade was well developed already in 1852, but in 1898 dr. Henrik Tuma, gathered 28 joiners and that year is considered to be the beginning of the organised joinery in Solkan. Dr. Tuma and the joiners established a co-operative but, owing to their disagreements, the co-operative had financial troubles in 1908 and in 1912 it failed.

The First World War changed the way of life in Solkan essentially (refugees). After the war the idea of a new co-operative slowly came true and in 1921 30 joiners made part of it. They had a shop in Solkan and Gorica.

Then the world economic crisis came and the strong pressure of fascism. Many joiners emigrated to Yugoslavia and other countries. In 1932 the joiners who stayed in Solkan established CAM-comunita Artigliana Mobilieri and they conformed to the demands of the Italian market. In that period they were given high acknowledgements at the exhibitions. After the Second World War the co-operative was renamed.In 1948 the forth co-operative was established and in 1980 it was registered.
Nowadays, what remains of a hundred year-old joinery in Solkan is only a memory and a nostalgia of the old days.

THE SOLKAN RAILWAY BRIDGE - THE SYMBOL OF OUR TOWN

In 1901 the law about the construction of the shortest railway communication of Vienna with the sea came out. It was considered to be the construction of the century. It would cross the Alps, run along Baška grapa and the Soča valley until it reached Triest. The most demanding structure was a 220 m long stone bridge over the Soča river in Solkan. The major arc would have a length of 85 m and the side viaduct that of 41 m. It was considered to be the longest stone bridge then.

The bridge served its purpose until August 1916. The Austrian army at Soška fronta went through defeats therefore it received orders to retreat and to destroy all bridges behind it.

In 1918 the Austrians began the restoration works and the bridge was used only for slow traffic.

Later on, the Italian government decided to restore it for normal traffic. They were restoring it for two years, from 1925 to 1927.

The construction of the new road bridge made part of the Osim agreement between Italy and the formal Yugoslavia. The road would connect Goriška brda and Nova Gorica and would be the shortest way of communication between Brda nad the Goriška plain. Thus, the Sabotin road runs along the side of Sabotin, just above the canyon of the Soča river, and through the Italian territory (1 km) to Hum.

In May, 1945 the bridge was damaged during a bombing of the air force. In a few days it was again in use, but the final restoration works were carried out in 1954 by the Goriška building enterprise. The bridge was in a serious danger to collapse yet, with a thorough adaptation, it has been preserved up to now. It has been recently highlighted and can be seen at night, too.

Fotografija: dr. R.Podobnik

The road bridge is made of concrete and it partly imitates the old railway bridge. It is famous for bungee jumping.

OUR CELEBRITIES -SPORTSMEN

Solkan is well known for its cultural and historical sights as well as for the successful sportsmen. Some of the best sportsmen in cayaking come from Solkan:

Jožko Kancler,
Jernej Abramič, (na slikah)
Fedja Marušič,
Andrej Grobiša.

The Soča river with its rapids offers them excellent training conditions. There is the home of the Olimpic hero Jure Franko who lives in the nearest vicinity of our school.

CONCLUSION

Until 1992 Solkan and Nova Gorica were treated as one city. The inhabitants of Solkan renewed the awareness of a nearly thousand year-history of the town and they attained the separation of Solkan from Nova Gorica with great perseverance.

Prepared by: Saša Pervanja in Kristina Humar, members of geographical group
Mentor: Vesna Vidmar Birsa, the teacher of geography