Biljana () is a settlement east of
Dobrovo in the
Municipality of Brda in the
Littoral 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 ...
, very close to the border with
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.
Name
Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 1233, ''Billgianis'' in 1270, and ''Bigliana'' in 1480). The oldest transcriptions indicate that the name was originally ''*Běľana'', with the later development of unstressed ''-ě-'' > ''-i-''. The suffix ''-ana'' generally indicates a
Romance or pre-Romance origin, but because the name cannot be explained through Romance roots it is assumed that it is Slavic in origin, possibly derived from the plural
demonym
A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
''*Běľane'' (literally, 'residents of ''*Belъjь's'' village').
History
The lords of Biljana lived in a building known as ''Dorišče'' in the 13th and 14th centuries. Ownership of the building changed frequently over the centuries. During the late 19th century, the national revival movement took hold here; the Lipa Reading and Choral Society in Biljana was the largest in the
Gorizia Hills. Before the First World War, an Austrian military unit was stationed in the village.
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 village is dedicated to
Saint Michael
Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...
and belongs to the
Diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
of
Koper
Koper (; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fifth-largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Slovenian Istria, Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, Koper is the main urban center of the Slovene coast. Port of Koper i ...
.
Koper Diocese list of churches
The earliest church at the site dated to the 13th century. The current church has a Gothic belfry and a distinctive chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
with a wooden statue from the end of the 15th century. The church contains a painting by Avgust Schlegl (1856–1908).
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Biljana include:
* Ignac Kožlin (1878–1955), composer
References
External links
*
Biljana on Geopedia
Populated places in the Municipality of Brda
{{BrdaSI-geo-stub