Kovačica ( sr-cyrl, Ковачица, ; ; ; ) is a town and municipality located in the

South Banat District The South Banat District (, ) is one of administrative districts of Serbia. It lies in the geographical region of Banat. According to the 2022 census, the South Banat District has a population of 260,244 inhabitants. The administrative center ...

of the autonomous province of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( ; sr-Cyrl, Војводина, ), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies withi ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. According to the 2022 census, the town has a population of 5,398, while the municipality has 21,178 inhabitants. It is widely known for its

naïve art Naïve art is usually defined as visual art that is created by a person who lacks the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes (in anatomy, art history, technique, perspective, ways of seeing). When this aesthetic is ...

that the local residents make without any form of art school.

Geography

The town of Kovačica is located 27km from

Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; ; ; ; ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on the shores of rivers Timiș (ri ...

and 43km from

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

History

The town was founded in the 18th century, but there are records of small settlements dating from 1458. In the middle of the 18th century, this area was recorded as a wasteland. Settlement was founded in 1750 and was settled (in 1751–1752) by Serb soldiers from Potisje and Pomorišje, after military frontier in these regions was abolished. In 1767, Kovačica was included into German regiment of Banatian Military Frontier. First Slovaks came here from Ečka and Aradac (in 1783) and after them, Slovaks from Arvas, Trenčin and Bekeš county came here as well (in 1801). From the middle of the 19th century, Kovačica is a center of municipality and cultural and social center of Slovaks in Banat.

Settlements

Kovačica municipality includes the town of Kovačica and the following villages: * Crepaja * Debeljača () * Idvor * Padina * Putnikovo * Samoš * Uzdin

Demographics

According to the 2022 census results, the municipality of Kovačica has 21,178 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups

Communities with Slovak majorities are: Kovačica () and Padina (). Communities with

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history, and language. They primarily live in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia ...

majorities are: Crepaja, Idvor, Putnikovo and Samoš. There is one community with a Hungarian majority: Debeljača (), and one community with a

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

majority: Uzdin (). The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Economy

The following table gives a preview of total number of employed people per their core activity (as of 2017):

Naïve art

Kovačica is well known for the tradition of naïve art, originating from local Slovak painters. The Gallery of Naïve Art, founded in 1955, is a major tourist destination in the area. Its most notable representatives are Zuzana Chalupová, also known as Mama Zuzana, Martin Jonáš, Jan Knjazovic, Martin Paluška, Jan Sokol and Jan Venjarski. The gallery organizes various exhibitions and events, such as ''Kovačički oktobar'' (''Kovačica October''), and has a collection of over 800 paintings. Kovačica's naïve painting is characterized by nostalgic, idyllic themes featuring life on the streets and in village yards, work in the fields of the golden Banat plain, and the ambience of country rooms with old carpets and objects. In December 2024, Kovačica's naïve art was recognized by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

as an

Intangible cultural heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kovačica is twinned with: *

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

References

External links

*
Art and Cultural Events In The Municipality of Kovačica
{{Authority control Slovak communities in Serbia Populated places in Serbian Banat Populated places in South Banat District Municipalities and cities of Vojvodina Towns in Serbia Slovaks of Vojvodina