Belica () is a small settlement east of the town of

Polhov Gradec Polhov Gradec (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 118.) is a settlement in the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec in the Upper Car ...

in the

Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec The Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec (; ) is a municipality in Slovenia. Its administrative seat is Dobrova, Dobrova–Polhov Gradec, Dobrova. History Originally, according to the ''Establishment of Municipalities and Municipal Boundaries ...

in the

Upper Carniola Upper Carniola ( ; ; ) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The largest town in the region is Kranj, and other urban centers include Kamnik, Jesenice, Jesenice, Jesenice, Domžale and ...

region of

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 lies on the left bank of the

Gradaščica The Gradaščica is a river in Slovenia. The river is long. It begins in Polhov Gradec at the confluence of Little Creek () and Big Božna Creek. Near Vrhovci it is joined by Horjulščica Creek (also known as Horjulka Creek). Not far past Boka ...

River on the road from

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

, bounded by Rabidovš Hill (520 m) to the north and Črtež Hill (480 m) to the northwest.

Name

The name ''Belica'' literally means 'white (creek)'. Belica was first mentioned in written sources in 1303 under the German name ''Weissempach'' (literally, 'white creek'), and in 1436 with the Slovene name represented as ''Welcz'', among other spellings of the name. In the past it was known as ''Belza'' in German. Like most Slovene places called ''Belica'', this name is also derived from a

hydronym A hydronym (from , , "water" and , , "name") is a type of toponym that designates a proper name of a body of water. Hydronyms include the proper names of rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, swamps and marshes, seas and oceans. As a subset of top ...

, as reflected in Belca Creek, which flows through the settlement.

History

A bronze plaque in the Belca Gorge () above Belica has cultural heritage status. This memorial commemorates the Second World War

Partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

First Battalion of the Dolomite Detachment. The bronze plaque was installed to replace an earlier stone plaque, and it reads: "Passersby, pause. In the Belca Gorge on 19 March 1943, 22 men from the First Battalion of the Dolomite Detachment of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Slovenia, including the commandant of the battalion, the people's hero Vladimir "Lado" Dolničar, a.k.a. Rudi, fell in a battle with the Italians, Germans, and

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

." Dolničar committed suicide after being seriously injured in order to evade capture.Petelin, Stanko. 1988. Dolničar, Vladimir – Rudi. In Marjan Javornik (ed.), ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol 2, p. 303. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga.

References

External links

*
Belica on Geopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belica, Dobrova-Polhov Gradec Populated places in the Municipality of Dobrova-Polhov Gradec