Zhitnitsa, Plovdiv Province Explained

Official Name:Zhitnitsa
Native Name:Житница
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Provinces
(Oblast)
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3
Pushpin Map:Bulgaria
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Zhitnitsa
Leader Title:Mayor
Postal Code Type:Postal Code
Subdivision Name1:Plovdiv
Population Total:1,474
Population As Of:2020
Elevation M:232
Postal Code:4172
Area Code:031703
Coordinates:42.3667°N 66°W
Leader Name:Tsetska Yotova

Zhitnitsa (Bulgarian: Житница, "granary") is a village in central southern Bulgaria, part of Kaloyanovo Municipality, Plovdiv Province. Zhitnitsa is mostly inhabited by Roman Catholic Bulgarians, descendants of medieval Paulicians. It lies 30km (20miles) north of Plovdiv and 5km (03miles) from the municipal centre Kaloyanovo.

History

Ottoman sources from the 17th century refer to an early sixteenth-century village in the approximate area by the name of Anbarli, province Göpsi, which may be a reference to Zhitnitsa.[1] Until 1934, the village was known as Hambarlii,[2] a possible cognate to Anbarli. In any case, Zhitnitsa appears to have been founded no later than 1646, during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, as a Turkish-owned farm. The farm was manned and worked by Bulgarian Paulicians from Sopot and Kalabrovo, who settled in the vicinity and established the village. According to an 18th-century report by papal missionary Nikola Radovani, the village had 54 houses inhabited by 341 Catholics, though an Eastern Orthodox population was also present. The construction of the first Roman Catholic church in the village commenced in 1874 under Capuchin father Ernesto. The current Gothic Revival church was built in 1922–1923.[3]

Notable people

Notable natives include weightlifter and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Milen Dobrev (b. 1980) and footballer Atanas Bornosuzov (b. 1979).

Notes and References

  1. Book: Atâî (1583-1635), Nev'îzâde. Şakaik-i Nu'maniyye ve Zeyilleri. Hadaiku'l-Hakaik fî Tekmileti'ş-Şakaik. Çağrı Yayınları. 1989. Istanbul. 212.
  2. Мичев, Николай, Петър Коледаров. „Речник на селищата и селищните имена в България 1878-1987“, София, 1989.
  3. Web site: История на село Житница . Гюлов . Козма . Интернет страница на село Житница . bg . 2009-07-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090607031511/http://www.pmw-bg.com/zh/ . June 7, 2009 .