Brtonigla ( it, Verteneglio; Venetian: ''Vertenejo'') is a village and a municipality in the north-western part of

Istria County Istria County (; hr, Istarska županija; it, Regione istriana, "Istrian Region") is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula ( out of , or 89%). Administrative centers in the county are Paz ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. Brtonigla is officially bilingual, with Croatian and Italian being equal; in 2011, 40% of the population declared themselves as ethnic Italians.

Physical geography

Brtonigla/Verteneglio was formerly part of the municipality of

Buje Buje ( it, Buie) is a town situated in Istria, Croatia's westernmost peninsula. Buje was known as the "sentinel of Istria" for its hilltop site located inland from the Adriatic Sea. History Buje has a rich history; traces of life in the regio ...

, which is immediately north, and is bordered to the south by the River Quieto. The old town of Brtonigla originally was placed on top of a hill, but over time it extended to its sides, occupying the entire hill. The area is suitable for agriculture. Wine, grain, corn, oil and vegetables are produced there. It is about from Buje, while it is about from the sea. The nearest seaside resort is Karigador. The summers are long and dry, while the winters are mild and pleasing.

History

Brtonigla was mentioned for the first time in 1234, with the ancient name ''Ortoneglo'' or ''Hortus Niger'', i.e. black ground garden. In the 11th century Venetians settled in the area, and in the 16th and 17th century Dalmatian and Balkan peasant families settled there too. ''Vertenejo'' was part of the Serenissima

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

and then of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with the brief parenthesis of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. After the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and then the

Treaty of Rapallo Following World War I there were two Treaties of Rapallo, both named after Rapallo, a resort on the Ligurian coast of Italy: * Treaty of Rapallo, 1920, an agreement between Italy and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (the later Yugoslav ...

, the village became part of

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 ...

, a period in which ''Verteneglio'' knew its maximum demographic and economic development. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

it was included in Zone B of the

Free Territory of Trieste The Free Territory of Trieste was an independent territory in Southern Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, facing the north part of the Adriatic Sea, under direct responsibility of the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath ...

. With the cession of Zone B to

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, most of the Italian population abandoned the village, by then known as Brtonigla. Since 1991, Brtonigla is a municipality in the

of the Republic of Croatia. VerteneglioItaliastemma

Coat of arms

The municipal symbol became official for the first time during the period of Italian sovereignty (1920-1945). The symbol then consisted of an oval frame enclosing a green field crossed by two dark red streets crossing the center of the coat of arms and the sea (towards the lower part of the coat of arms). The coat of arms that is used since the independence of Croatia perfectly copies the old coat of arms except the sea that has been moved upward. Everything is enclosed in a white frame.

Monuments

* Church of San Zenone: the parish church of Brtonigla is dedicated to San Zenone, Bishop of Verona and patron of the town. The ceiling of the church is flat, the polygonal apse, and the side walls are decorated with marble altars made according to neo-baroque principles. On the yellow, there are two large windows on the sides. Above the entrance is a tall red bell tower, and at the sides of the roof there are two small spiers. The church was built between 1859 and 1861 on the foundations of the oldest homonymous church dating back to 1480. * Scarlini Natural Park: The Scarlini Natural Park is a reserve that is from Brtonigla. It is named after the small river Scarlini, which flows into the river Quieto. Inside the park the stream lying in a small basin forms a long green pond.

Society

Languages and dialects

The municipality is bilingual; Brtonigla/Verteneglio is in fact the second Istrian mucipality, after Grožnjan/Grisignana, in terms of percentage of Italian-speaking inhabitants. Until before the exodus, the population of Italian ethnicity was between 98 and 100% of the total. In 2001, Brtonigla/Verteneglio hosted 52.82% Croatian-speakers, 41.29% Italian-speakers, 2.47% Slovenian-speakers and 1.52% Albanian-speakers In 2011, Brtonigla/Verteneglio hosted 54% Croatian-speakers, 39.79% Italian-speakers, 2.28% Slovenian-speakers and 0.43% Albanian-speakersCensus 2011
/ref> According to the 2011 census, municipality of Brtonigla/Verteneglio had 1.626 residents.

Religions

Settlements

The municipality includes several settlements: *Brtonigla - Verteneglio, population 805 * Fiorini, population 165 * Karigador - Carigador, population 189 * Nova Vas - Villanova del Quieto, population 359 * Radini, population 108

Notable residents

* Giovanni Craglietto (1889 Verteneglio - 1975 Trieste), painter and drawer

Twin towns

Brtonigla/Verteneglio is twinned with: *

Greve in Chianti Greve in Chianti (the old name was Greve; in 1972 it was renamed Greve in Chianti after the inclusion of that area in the Chianti wine district) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy. It is lo ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Municipalities of Croatia Populated places in Istria County Italian-speaking territorial units in Croatia