| Official Name: | Črni Vrh |
| Pushpin Map: | Slovenia |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Traditional region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Upper Carniola |
| Subdivision Type2: | Statistical region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Central Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Dobrova–Polhov Gradec |
| Area Total Km2: | 11.22 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 296 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Coordinates: | 46.0877°N 14.259°W |
| Elevation M: | 822.3 |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
Črni Vrh (in Slovenian pronounced as /ˈtʃəɾni ˈʋəɾx/; German: Schwarzenberg[2]) is a dispersed settlement in the hills northwest of Polhov Gradec in the Municipality of Dobrova–Polhov Gradec in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.[3] It includes many isolated farms scattered throughout the hills between Big Božna Creek (Slovenian: Velika Božna) to the south, Little Božna Creek (Slovenian: Mala Božna) to the northeast, Dog Plateau (Slovenian: Pasja ravan, 1020 m) to the northwest, and Špilj Hill (860 m) to the south-southeast.[4]
Črni Vrh literally means 'black peak'. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1303 under the equivalent German name Swarcenek 'black hill' and in 1486 as Swarzen perg 'black mountain'. In the past it was known as Schwarzenberg in German.[2] [5] Like other settlements with the same name, the name indicates that it is associated with a hill or mountain covered with dark (coniferous) trees. The element vrh does not necessarily refer to a peak, but can also refer to a mountain pass.[6]
The school in Črni Vrh was built in 1938.[4]
The parish church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Leonard.[7] It stands west of the settlement on Church Hill (Slovenian: Cerkovni grič). A church at the site was first mentioned in 1526, reworked in 1758. The current structure was built in 1899 based on plans by Moritz (or Moric) Kirchschlager[8] after the earthquake of 1895, which destroyed the previous structure. The interior was painted by Simon Ogrin.[8] The main altar was made in the Ljubljana workshop of the Toman (Thomann) family of stonemasons, and the side altar and pulpit are the work of Valentin Šubic (1859–1927). A chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built next to the rectory in 1850.[4] The church is registered as a cultural monument.[8]
A chapel dedicated to the Assumption of Mary stands west of Črni Vrh, next to the rectory along the road to Church Hill. It is an eight-sided structure with an octagonal pyramid roof surmounted by a cupola, and was dedicated in 1851. A bell tower was added on the north side of the chapel in 1889. The interior furnishings date from the same period as its construction and the chapel is registered as a cultural monument.[9]
A shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart stands to the east, south of the house at Črni Vrh no. 31. It is a doorless chapel-shrine and was built in 1926. There is another shrine in the eastern part of the village, south of the road. This is a chapel-shrine with doors dedicated to Saint Florian, with a fresco depicting the saint. A third shrine, a chapel-shrine with doors, stands near the farm at Črni Vrh no. 2, north of the road. It dates from the end of the 19th century and contains a wooden crucifix. These shrines are registered as cultural monuments.[10] [11] [12]
In addition to Saint Leonard's Church and its chapel and shrines, Črni Vrh has several other structures registered as cultural heritage: