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.
D ...
in the
Municipality of Brda 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, an ...
, 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 re ...
.
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. 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 activities, ...
in the village is dedicated to
Saint Michael and belongs to the
Diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, pro ...
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.
Ove ...
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 derived ...
(1856–1908).
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Biljana include:
* Ignac Kožlin (1878–1955), composerLojze Simoniti Lojze is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Lojze Bratuž (1902–1937), Slovene choirmaster and composer, killed by Italian Fascist squads
*Lojze Grozde, Slovenian student murdered by partisans during World War II
*Lojze Kovači ...
(1901–1957), physician
References
External links
*
Biljana on Geopedia
Populated places in the Municipality of Brda
{{BrdaSI-geo-stub