Goče (, german: Gotsche) is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in the hills southwest of

Vipava Vipava can refer to: * Vipava, Vipava, town in southwestern Slovenia * Vipava (river), in Slovenia and Italy * Vipava Valley The Vipava Valley (; sl, Vipavska dolina, german: Wippachtal, it, Valle del Vipacco) is a valley in the Slovenian Lit ...

in the traditional Inner Carniola 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, and ...

. It is now generally regarded as part of the Slovenian Littoral. It includes the hamlets of Bešenca, Na Grofovem, Na Jagni, Pod Strmcem, and V Gasah.

Name

The name ''Goče'' is derived from the personal name *''Gotъ''. Other Slovenian toponyms presumably based on this name are ''

Gotenica Gotenica (; in older sources also ''Gotnica'', german: Göttenitz,''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 36.Ferenc, Mitja. 2007. ''Nekdanji ...

'', ''Gotna vas'' (a suburb of

Novo Mesto Novo Mesto (; sl, Novo mesto; also known by other alternative names) is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered ...

), '' Gotovlje'', and ''

Gotenc Gotenc ( or ) is a small settlement north of Fara in the Municipality of Kostel in southern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region The Southeast Sl ...

''. Locally, the name is pronounced ''Γûəče'' , with the adjective form ''γûški'' and demonym ''Γučân'' .

History

Goče was very wealthy in the past; this is indicated in part by houses with dates from the 17th and 18th centuries carved into their door casings. Near Saint Andrew's Church some of the old buildings are built so close together that the streets are barely 1 m wide. Oral tradition states that the houses were built so compactly because the land belonged to the church, exempting the residents from military service.

Churches

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 Andrew and dates from 1630. It belongs to the Koper Diocese. A small church built on a hill above the village also belongs to this parish and is dedicated to Our Lady of the Snow.Koper Diocese list of churches
The bell tower contains a bell cast in Goče in 1706. The village cemetery is south of the settlement. It has chapel dating from 1687 that is a prime example of the Karst Renaissance style. Between the church and the cemetery there is an altar-like wayside shrine from the end of the 17th century. Its relief carvings are heavily damaged.

Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Goče include: * Franc Ferjančič (1867–1943), writer * Alfonz Furlan (1856–1932), local historian and religious writer * Ivan Mercina (1851–1940), campanologist and composer

References

External links

Goče on Geopedia
*
Populated places in the Municipality of Vipava {{Vipava-geo-stub