Sečovlje (; ) is a settlement in the Municipality of Piran 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 ...

Name

The modern Slovene name ''Sečovlje'' is an artificial creation dating from after 1945. It was coined from the Italian name of the settlement, ''Sicciole'', influenced by the name of the neighbouring village of Seča. The origin of the Italian name of the village, ''Sicciole'', is uncertain.

Overview

Sečovlje is the last Slovenian settlement before the Slovenia–Croatia border on the highway south from Portorož. Its main source of income is tourism at Sečovlje Saltpans Natural Park. The section of the Parenzana railway path that ran through Sečovlje is now a recreational path for tourists. Nearby is the Portorož Airport, which offers panoramic flights over Slovenian Istria. The Sečovlje international border crossing is one of the main crossings from Slovenia into Croatian

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...

History

Archaeological finds and text sources point to a settlement in the area of Sečovlje that dates back to the Roman times, the nearby salt pans in the 12th century. Modernisation of the salt pans occurred in the 14th century, and salt production drastically increased in the times of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, when the mines expanded to an area of 508 hectares and were from the 24 April (St George) to 24 August (St Bartholomew) the source of income for about 500 families.

Economy

Solinair has its head office in Sečovlje, on the property of Portorož Airport.

Churches

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 settlement is dedicated to Saint Martin. There is a second church in the hamlet of Krog in the hills west of the village centre. A

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery was established at the site in 1432, and the church is dedicated to Saint Onuphrius. The monastery was active until 1957, when the monks were expelled and the property was nationalised. The church and monastery were then allowed to fall into decay.

References

External links

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Sečovlje on Geopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Secovlje Populated places in the Municipality of Piran Slovenian Riviera Croatia–Slovenia border crossings