Branik (; it, Rifembergo, german: Reifenberg) is a village in western

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 ...

in the

Municipality of Nova Gorica The City Municipality of Nova Gorica (; sl, Mestna občina Nova Gorica) is a municipality in the traditional region of the Slovene Littoral in western Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the city of Nova Gorica. Nova Gorica became a munic ...

. Until 2011, Pedrovo was a hamlet of Branik.

Name

The name of the settlement was changed from Rihemberk (earlier ''Rifenberg'', from German ''Reyfemberch'', attested in 1274) to Branik in 1955. 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 German elements from toponyms.Urbanc, Mimi & Matej Gabrovec. 2005. Krajevna imena: poligon za dokazovanje moči in odraz lokalne identitete. ''Geografski vestnik'' 77(2): 25–43. Rihemberk is still the name used for Branik Castle located above the village.

Climate

Branik is in the Branik Valley, which is part of the

Vipava Valley The Vipava Valley (; sl, Vipavska dolina, german: Wippachtal, it, Valle del Vipacco) is a valley in the Slovenian Littoral, roughly between the village of Podnanos to the east and the border with Italy to the west. The main towns are Ajdovš ...

, just beneath the

Karst Plateau The Karst Plateau or the Karst region ( sl, Kras, it, Carso), also locally called Karst, is a karst plateau region extending across the border of southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills su ...

. The location provides a favourable climate for the growth of Mediterranean fruits, such as

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

and

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

es. The area is also renowned for its wines, especially Vitovska Garganja,

Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high level ...

, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

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 settlement is dedicated to Saint Ulrich and belongs to the

Diocese of Koper ) , cocathedral = Co-Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Nova Gorica() , area_km2 = 4,386 , parishes = 100 , population = 266,403 , population_as_of = 2013 , catholics = 181,230 , catholics_percent= 68 , pope ...

Notable natives and residents

* Nevin Birsa, poet * Rajko Bratož, historian * Ljudevit Furlani, translator and journalist *

Simon Gregorčič Simon Gregorčič (15 October 1844 – 24 November 1906) was a Slovenes, Slovene poet and Roman Catholic priest. He is considered the first lyric poetry, lyric poet of the Slovene realist poetry and the most melodical Slovene poet. Biogr ...

, poet *

Tjaša Iris Tjaša Iris is a Slovenian-born artist, known for her digital art, photographs and large paintings painted with bright colors, vivid atmospheres of gardens with lush vegetation and bright light. Color is the main concern in her painting, explor ...

, painte

References

External links