Belica () is a small settlement east of the town of

Polhov Gradec Polhov Gradec (; german: Billichgra(t)z''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 118.) is a settlement in the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov G ...

in the

Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec The Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec (; sl, Občina Dobrova - Polhov Gradec) is a municipality in Slovenia. Its administrative seat is Dobrova. History Originally, according to the ''Establishment of Municipalities and Municipal Boundari ...

in the

Upper Carniola Upper Carniola ( sl, Gorenjska; it, Alta Carniola; german: Oberkrain) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jeseni ...

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, an ...

. It lies on the left bank of the

Gradaščica The Gradaščica is a river in Slovenia. The river is long. It begins in Polhov Gradec at the confluence of Little Creek ( sl, Mala Voda) and Big Božna Creek. Near Vrhovci it is joined by Horjulščica Creek (also known as Horjulka Creek). Not f ...

River on the road from

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

, bounded by Rabidovš Hill (520 m) to the north and Črtež Hill (480 m) to the northwest.

Name

The name ''Belica'' literally means 'white (creek)'. Belica was first mentioned in written sources in 1303 under the German name ''Weissempach'' (literally, 'white creek'), and in 1436 with the Slovene name represented as ''Welcz'', among other spellings of the name. In the past it was known as ''Belza'' in German. Like most Slovene places called ''Belica'', this name is also derived from a

hydronym A hydronym (from el, ὕδρω, , "water" and , , "name") is a type of toponym that designates a proper name of a body of water. Hydronyms include the proper names of rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, swamps and marshes, seas and oceans. As a ...

, as reflected in Belca Creek, which flows through the settlement.

History

A bronze plaque in the Belca Gorge ( sl, Belška grapa) above Belica has cultural heritage status. This memorial commemorates the Second World War

Partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...

First Battalion of the Dolomite Detachment. The bronze plaque was installed to replace an earlier stone plaque, and it reads: "Passersby, pause. In the Belca Gorge on 19 March 1943, 22 men from the First Battalion of the Dolomite Detachment of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Slovenia, including the commandant of the battalion, the people's hero Vladimir "Lado" Dolničar, a.k.a. Rudi, fell in a battle with the Italians, Germans, and

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

." Dolničar committed suicide after being seriously injured in order to evade capture.Petelin, Stanko. 1988. Dolničar, Vladimir – Rudi. In Marjan Javornik (ed.), ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol 2, p. 303. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga.

References

External links

*
Belica on Geopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belica, Dobrova-Polhov Gradec Populated places in the Municipality of Dobrova-Polhov Gradec