Kanal ( or ; , ), frequently referred to as Kanal ob Soči ("Kanal on the Soča"; or ; ), is a settlement mostly on the left bank of the
Soča River in the
Slovene Littoral
The Slovene Littoral, or simply Littoral (, ; ; ), is one of the traditional regions of Slovenia. The littoral in its name – for a coastal-adjacent area – recalls the former Austrian Littoral (''Avstrijsko Primorje''), the Habsburg possess ...
, the traditional region in southwestern
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 Kanal ob Soči
The Municipality of Kanal ob Soči ( or ; ) is a municipality in the traditional region of the Littoral in western Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Kanal. Kanal ob Soči became a municipality in 1994. It borders Italy
...
. It is an important crossing point over the Soča. At its eastern border, on the left bank of the Soča, runs the
Bohinj Railway
The Bohinj Railway (, , ) is a railway in Slovenia and Italy. It connects Jesenice in Slovenia with Trieste in Italy. It was built by Austria-Hungary from 1900 to 1906 as a part of a new strategic railway, the Neue Alpenbahnen, that would conn ...
, the railway track linking the
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
and the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
.
Name
Kanal was attested in historical sources as ''in Canale Isontii'' in 1336 (and as ''in dem Canol'' in 1340 and ''im Kanal'' in 1389). The name is borrowed from the Italian common noun ''canale'' with the meaning 'long deep river gorge', referring to the configuration of the Soča Valley at the location.
History
The first mention of the settlement dates to 1140, the year 1336 mentions the name of
Dvor Svete Marije, and bridge in 1350. The center of the town was fortified in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. There are four towers left called
bastion
A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
s. There used to be a small castle, which was destroyed in 1264 and later rebuilt after the First World War as a residential building. In the 19th century small manufacturing plants were established. From 1900 until 1906, the Bohinj Railway was built.
Cultural heritage
Bridge
The first bridge was built by the
Romans. The current bridge was built after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The bridge is around 17 meters tall and there are yearly diving events in mid-August. There are plans for building a new bridge to reduce traffic through the center.
Neptune Fountain
The Neptune Fountain, next to 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 centre of the settlement, was built in 1815.
Parish church
The parish church of Kanal is dedicated to the
Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows:
It leaves open the question of w ...
and belongs to the
Diocese of Koper. The current church was built in the
Gothic style in the 1430s on the site of a 13th-century predecessor. The still preserved Gothic element is the
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 ...
, whereas the nave was redesigned from 1632 until 1670 in the
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style and the facade was redesigned from 1787 until 1795 in the
Neoclassical style
Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...
. The original bell tower was built in 1632, but demolished in World War I and later rebuilt in the
Renaissance Revival style. The left (northern) side chapel, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, was consecrated in 1662, whereas the right (southern) side chapel, dedicated to the Mother of God, was built in 1698.
Economy
There is a small factory called Plastik Kanal in the town.
The main employer is cement factory
Salonit Anhovo, co-incinerating waste.
Notable people
*
Ivo Hvalica, politician (
SDS)
*
Vojeslav Mole, poet and art historian
* Author
Josip Ribičič's mother Marija Ribičić (born Križanič or Križnic)
*
Ignazio Francesco Scodnik,
Garibaldine general
*
Valentin Stanič, mountaineer, author and philanthropist
*
Ivan Čargo, painter and illustrator
*
Riko Debenjak, academy-trained painter
*
Anton Nanut, conductor
*
Josip Kocijančič, composer
Events
* Hiking on the steps of Valentin Stanič () in March/April
* Diving championship from 25 m (July)
* Festival Kontrada (July)
* Traditional diving championship from 17 m high bridge (August)
* Kogojevi dnevi – festival of modern music (September, October)
* Summer party – electronic music festival (August)
References
External links
*
Kanal on GeopediaTIC Kanal Kanal Tourist Information Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanal, Kanal
Populated places in the Municipality of Kanal
Populated places in the Soča Valley