Polhov Gradec

Polhov Gradec (; german: Billichgra(t)z''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 Carniola region of Slovenia. It is the center of the Upper Gradaščica Valley.

Name

Polhov Gradec was first mentioned in written records under the German name ''Pilchgrez'' in 1261 (''Pilchgraez'' in 1269, and simply ''Graetz'' in 1291; cf. modern-era German ''Billichgra(t)z''). All of these are derived from the Slovene name for the settlement, with the last element ''‑grätz'' derived from Slovene ''gradec'' 'little castle'. The first part of the name is derived from a personal name, ''Polh'' or ''Povh''; the name therefore means 'Polh's (little) castle'. The name ''Polh'' is, in turn, probably derived from the zoonym ''polh'' 'dormouse'. An alternative theory, considered less likely, derives ''Polh'' from the name ''Pavel'' 'Paul'.

A folk legend offers a more fanciful, but unfounded, explanation of the name of the settlement. According to the legend, which is reproduced in material for tourists, a traveler once spent the night at Polhov Gradec Castle. When he woke up in the morning he found that the dormice had eaten his horse's saddle and bridle, causing him to exclaim, "To ni Gradec, temveč Polhov Gradec!" ('This isn't a castle, it's a dormouse castle!').

History

The area has been inhabited since Roman times and a Roman villa has been excavated near the town, finds from which are kept in the National Museum of Slovenia. A court was established in Polhov Gradec in 1478, which was placed under the jurisdiction of the sovereign in 1474. In 1515 the area was engulfed in a peasant uprising. A part-time school was established in 1820 and a regular school in 1852. The first school building was built in 1859.

Polhov Gradec Manor

Polhov Gradec Manor () is a large mansion in the settlement. The manor was first mentioned in written sources in 1315. The manor was purchased by Mark Anton Kunstl von Baumgarten in 1658. Kunstl was elevated to the position of Baron of Billichgratz in 1684, and the manor's Neptune Fountain was created under Kunstl's ownership. At the beginning of the 19th century ownership was assumed by the Ursini Blagaj family.Technical Museum of Slovenia: History of Polhov Gradec Castle
/ref> In 1875 Janko and Luiza (Altmann) Urbančič from Preddvor purchased the estate, after which it was owned by their daughter Ana Urbančič Delago. The Delago family was forcibly deported to Austria by the Yugoslav Secret Police (OZNA) on 18 December 1945 and the manor was then nationalized and plundered. The building housed an elementary school from 1952 to 1969, and was then left to decay until the 1990s, when renovation started. In 1999 it was declared a cultural monument of national significance, and in 2008 management of the estate was transferred to the Technical Museum of Slovenia. Since 2008, the Museum of Post and Telecommunications resides there.

Birth of the Virgin Mary Church

The parish church in the town is dedicated to Birth of Mary. It is mentioned as an independent parish in documents dating to 1292. It originally belonged to the Patriarchate of Aquileia and since 1461 it has been part of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana

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