dispersed settlement
A dispersed settlement, also known as a scattered settlement, is one of the main types of settlement patterns used by landscape historians to classify rural settlements found in England and other parts of the world. Typically, there are a numb ...
in the hills north of
Hotavlje
Hotavlje (; in older sources also ''Hotovlje'',''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 64. german: Hotaule) is a village in the Sora (river), ...
in the
Municipality of Gorenja Vas–Poljane
The Municipality of Gorenja Vas–Poljane (; sl, Občina Gorenja vas - Poljane) is a municipality in Slovenia. Its administrative seat is Gorenja Vas.
Settlements
In addition to the municipal seat of Gorenja Vas, the municipality also includes ...
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 ...
The name ''Volaka'' is believed to refer to early foreign-born residents of the settlement, related to the word ''
Vlach
"Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Eastern ...
''.
History
Volaščica Creek, which runs through the settlement, was set as the original border of the Dominion of
Freising
Freising () is a university town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the Freising ''Landkreis'' (district), with a population of about 50,000.
Location
Freising is the oldest town between Regensburg and Bolzano, and is located on the Is ...
in AD 973. Oral tradition states that in the 11th century a castle owned by
Hemma of Gurk
Hemma of Gurk (german: Hemma von Gurk; 27 June 1045),29 June according t also called Emma of Gurk ( sl, Ema Krška), was a noblewoman and founder of several churches and monasteries in the Duchy of Carinthia. Buried at Gurk Cathedral since 1174, ...
stood on Gradišče Hill above the settlement. In the 17th century, iron ore was dug in the area and carried across the hills to Potok and
Železniki
Železniki (; german: Eisnern''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 66–67.) is a small town in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipali ...
for processing. For a number of years a foundry operated in Volaka.