Črni Kal Explained

Official Name:Črni Kal
Pushpin Map:Slovenia
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Slovenia
Coordinates:45.55°N 13.8784°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Slovenia
Subdivision Type1:Traditional region
Subdivision Name1:Littoral
Subdivision Type2:Statistical region
Subdivision Name2:Coastal–Karst
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Koper
Area Total Km2:1.47
Elevation M:252.9
Population Total:191
Population As Of:2002
Footnotes:[1]

Črni Kal (pronounced as /sl/; Italian: San Sergio) is a village in southwestern Slovenia in the City Municipality of Koper.[2] It is best known today for the Črni Kal Viaduct, the longest and the highest viaduct in Slovenia.

Name

The name Črni Kal literally means 'black pond', based on the common noun kal 'pond, watering hole' and referring to a local geographical feature.[3]

Architecture

Houses

The village has some good examples of traditional Karst architecture. One such monument is the Benko House, built in 1489 by stonemasons Andrej (Andrew) and Benko (Benjamin) as indicated by an inscription on the building: Andreas et Benco construxerunt. This makes it oldest surviving farmhouse in the Koper area and is also the oldest signed and dated secular building in all of Slovenia. It stands on the lower edge of the village core and is made of chiseled limestone and marlstone blocks. It comprises two buildings with inscriptions in the Glagolitic alphabet on the facade. The older building is the main house, with Romanesque as well as late-Gothic features.[4]

Church

The local church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence and belongs to the Parish of Predloka.[5] The church's bell tower leans to the west, deviating from the vertical by more than a meter.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.stat.si/eng/index.asp Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
  2. http://www.koper.si/podrocje.aspx?id=65 Koper Municipality site
  3. Book: Snoj . Marko . Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen . 2009 . Modrijan . Ljubljana . 101, 182.
  4. http://www.slovenia.info/en/arhitekturne-znamenitosti/Črni-Kal,-Benko-house-(Benkova-hiša).htm?arhitekturne_znamenitosti=430&lng=2 Slovenian Tourist Board site
  5. http://kp.rkc.si/dokumenti/zupnije/seznam.pdf Roman Catholic Diocese of Koper List of Churches May 2008
  6. Book: Kladnik . Darinka . Sto slovenskih krajev . 1995 . Prešernova družba . Ljubljana . 11.