Ravne na Koroškem (; until 1952: ''Guštanj''; ) is a town in northern

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. It is the seat of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, and the largest town and the capital of Slovenia's

Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...

region. The town has a long tradition in the steel industry.

Name

The name ''Ravne na Koroškem'' literally means 'Ravne in Carinthia'. The word ''ravne'' means 'flat terrain' in Slovene, and is a common place name in Slovene-inhabited territories. The name of the settlement was changed from ''Guštanj'' (from German ''Gutenstein'') to ''Ravne na Koroškem'' in 1952 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.

History

Part of the

Duchy of Carinthia The Duchy of Carinthia (; ; ) was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, and was the first newly created Imperial State after the original German stem duchies. Car ...

from 976, King Henry II of Germany granted the area to the Bishops of Bamberg in 1007. The settlement was first mentioned as ''Gutenstain'' in a 1263 deed. Ravne na Koroškem was granted town status in 1952. The history of the

steel industry Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and low raw material cost, steel is one of the ...

in the town goes back 380 years.

Church

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

in the settlement is dedicated to

Saint Giles Saint Giles (, , , , ; 650 - 710), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 7th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly legendary. A ...

and belongs to the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor The Archdiocese of Maribor (, ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Slovenia. Its episcopal see is Maribor. History * 1859 : Maribor (then Marburg) became the see of the Diocese of Lavant * ...

. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1331. It was re-vaulted in the 17th century.

Culture

Ravne na Koroškem is also known for excellent jazz. Concerts of th
Jazz Ravne
cycle are held throughout the year and th
Festival of Slovenian Jazz
takes place each autumn.

In fiction

One of

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...

's quatrains that is localized to southeast Europe has the following couplet: :which translates to Mario Reading translates the third line as "throughout enslaved-Slovenia," finding no other meaning and stipulates that the town will be either the conception or birthplace of the third and last Antichrist. He interprets the first lines as indicating "bad luck will come to those countries abutting the place"—Baleni Romini and

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

are the specific afflicted places mentioned—and ascribes the index date 2032 based on the original manuscript number 32. Mostly as a result of line three (the first line above) this place, the author considers Ravne na Koroškem the most likely of the three places named Ravenne in Europe that unwittingly hosts the creation of this globally inhumane person.''The Complete Prophesies of Nostradamus'' Mario Reading, 2009 (Watkins Publishing, London)

Gallery

File:Ravne na Koroskem.jpg, Ravne na Koroškem and Mount Peca File:RavneKoroska-hise.JPG, Prežih Street () File:DvorecRavne.jpg, Ravne Mansion, Castle Park File:Razglednica Raven na Koroškem 1967.jpg, Postcard of Ravne na Koroškem, 1967 File:Razglednica Raven na Koroškem 1955.jpg, Postcard of Ravne na Koroškem, 1955

References

External links

*
Ravne na Koroškem on Geopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ravne na Koroskem Populated places in the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem Cities and towns in Carinthia (Slovenia)