Idrija

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title: "Idrija" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["idrija", "populated-places-in-the-municipality-of-idrija", "mining-communities-in-slovenia", "cities-and-towns-in-inner-carniola", "world-heritage-sites-in-slovenia", "mercury-mining"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idrija" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_nameIdrija
native_name
settlement_typeTown
motto
image_skyline{{Photomontage
photo1aIdrija-view-2025-Luka-Peternel.jpg
photo2aGewerkenegg-Castle-Idrija-5-2021-Luka-Peternel.jpg
photo2bIdrija miners' theatre.jpg
photo3aGimnazija Jurija Vege Idrija.JPG
photo3bTown Park Idrija (2732821062).jpg
photo4aIdrija-center-1-2021-Luka-Peternel.jpg
size270
spacing1
border1
image_captionFrom top, left to right: Overview of Idrija, Gewerkenegg Castle, Miners' Theatre, Vega Gymnasium, Town Park, Town Center
image_shieldCoat of arms of Idrija.svg
pushpin_mapSlovenia
pushpin_label_positionright
pushpin_map_captionLocation in Slovenia
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameFlag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
subdivision_type1Traditional region
subdivision_name1Inner Carniola
subdivision_type2Statistical region
subdivision_name2Gorizia
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Idrija
area_total_km213.1
population_as_of2025
population_total5794
population_blank1_titleEthnicities
population_blank2_titleReligions
coordinates
elevation_m334.5
postal_code5280 Idrija
registration_plateGO
blank_nameClimate
blank_infoCfb
footnotes
{{designation listembed
designation1WHS
designation1_offnameHeritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija
designation1_date2012 (36th session)
designation1_typeCultural
designation1_criteriaii, iv
designation1_number1313
designation1_free1nameRegion
designation1_free1valueEurope and North America
::

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Idrija (, in older sources Zgornja Idrija; , ) is a town in western Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Idrija. It is notable for its mercury mine with stores and infrastructure, as well as miners' living quarters, and a miners' theatre. Together with the Spanish mine at Almadén, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. Idrija is also known for Idrija Lace, a bobbin tape lace which is registered under protected geographical indication by the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office. In 2011, Idrija was given the Alpine Town of the Year award.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Idrija_(st._Anthony_of_Padua_church_view).jpg" caption="The Idrijca River seen from St. Anthony's Church"] ::

The town of Idrija lies in the Idrija Basin, surrounded by the Idrija Hills, in the traditional region of Inner Carniola and in the Gorizia Statistical Region. Today, its inhabitants mostly consider it part of the Slovene Littoral. It is traversed by the Idrijca River, which is joined there by Nikova Creek. It includes the neighborhoods of Brusovše, Cegovnica, Prenjuta, and Žabja Vas close to the town center, as well as the more outlying hamlets of Češnjice, Ljubevč, Marof, Mokraška Vas, Podroteja, Staje, and Zahoda. The Marof hydroelectric plant is located on the Idrijca River on the northern outskirts of Idrija, between Marof and Mokraška Vas. Springs in the area include Podroteja Spring and Wild Lake on the Idrijca River south of the town.

History

In the Middle Ages, Idrija was managed by the Patriarchate of Aquileia and the Counts of Gorizia as part of the Governorate of Tolmin, which became independent in the 15th century. Mercury was discovered in Idrija (known as Idria under Austrian rule) in the late 15th century (various sources cite 1490, 1492, and 1497). After 1500, Idrija was occupied for one year by the Republic of Venice (in 1508), but it was otherwise governed by the House of Habsburg. In March 1511, it was affected by the forceful 1511 Idrija earthquake. To support the mining activities, Gewerkenegg Castle was constructed between 1522 and 1533 by the mine owners. Mining operations were taken over by the government in 1580.

In the 18th century, Idrija gained the rights of a market town. For long time Idrija was a cornerstone of the global supply of mercury. As such, Idrija supplied mercury needed in the silver mines of the Spanish Empire when the mercury mines of Almadén and Huancavelica faltered in their deliveries. From 1783 until the 1910s, Idrija was part of the Inner Carniola Kreis.

The mineral idrialite, discovered here in 1832, is named after the town.

By the late 19th-century, lace-making became an important source of international trade. The first lace shop in Idrija, was run by Karolina Lapajne in 1860, although the earliest written record of lace-making in Idrija dates back to 1696. In 1875, Franc Lapajne entered the lace market, which led to lace being exported across Europe and America. In 1876, Ivanka Ferjančič opened the Idrija Lace School to meet the demand for qualified lace makers.

By 1905, lace was being exported through the Idrija Lace Cooperative to Europe, America, and Egypt. During World War I, established lace trade links disappeared.

In 1920, Idrija came under Italy with the Treaty of Rapallo. In September 1943, it became part of the Nazi Germany and was then heavily rocketed by the SAAF in 1945. After the war, it formed part of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia within Yugoslavia and became a town in independent Slovenia in June 1991.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Slovenia granted the right to label lace with a geographical indication in 2000. In 2003, the Idrija Lacemakers Association was founded to preserve the art of lacemaking. In 2013, lacemaking in Idrija was added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage. In 2016, Slovenia declared lacemaking a living masterpiece of national importance. In 2018, lacemaking in Slovenia was declared on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Legend

According to legend, a bucket maker working in a local spring spotted a small amount of liquid mercury in 1490. Idrija is one of the few places in the world where mercury occurs in both its native state and as cinnabar (mercury sulfide) ore. The subterranean shaft mine entrance known as Anthony's Shaft (Antonijev rov) is used today for tours of the upper levels, complete with life-sized depictions of workers over the ages. The lower levels, which extend to almost 400 meters below the surface and are no longer being actively mined, are currently being cleaned up.

| align = left | total_width = 600 | footer = Idrija mercury mine | footer_align = center | image1 = Idrija-Valvasor.jpg | caption1 = 1679 engraving by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor | image2 = AntonijevRov-Idrija.jpg | caption2 = Anthony's Shaft, mine entrance | image3 = Idrija-Mine-1-2021-Luka-Peternel.jpg | caption3 = Inside the mine

Church

The parish church in the town is dedicated to Saint Joseph the Worker and belongs to the Diocese of Koper. There are three other churches in Idrija, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Our Lady of Sorrows.

Notable people

Notable people who were born or lived in Idrija include:

References

References

  1. "Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia".
  2. (1906). "Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 6: Kranjsko". C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna.
  3. (1880). "Spezialkarte der Österreichisch-ungarischen Monarchie 1:75.000 Bischoflack und Oberidria". Militärgeographisches Institut.
  4. [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1313/ Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija - UNESCO World Heritage Centre]
  5. "Geographical indication Idrija lace.".
  6. "Idrija / Slovenia: Alpine Town of the Year 2011". Alpine Town of the Year Association.
  7. (February 16, 2011). "Idrija Is the Alpine Town of the Year 2011".
  8. (2013). "To Walk with the Devil: Slovene Collaboration and Axis Occupation, 1941–1945". University of Toronto Press.
  9. (2020). "Pokrajine v Sloveniji". Inštitut za lokalno samoupravo.
  10. "Podroteja I – Idrijca". Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje.
  11. Arko, Mihael. 1931. ''Zgodovina Idrije: po raznih arhivalnih in drugih virih.'' Ljubljana: Katoliška knjigarna, p. 1.
  12. Savnik, Roman, ed. 1968. ''Krajevni leksikon Slovenije'', vol. 1. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, p. 70.
  13. Kmecl, Matjaž. 1981. ''Treasures of Slovenia.'' Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, p. 262.
  14. Budkovič, Tomaž, Robert Šajn, & Mateja Gosar. 2003. "Vpliv delujočih in opuščenih rudnikov kovin in topilniških obratov na okolje v Sloveniji ." ''Geologija'' 46(1): 135–140, p. 136.
  15. Svetličič, Marjan, & Matija Rojec. 2000. "Kolektor." In Saul Estrin et al. (eds.), ''Foreign Direct Investment in Central Eastern Europe,'' pp. 3–28. New York: M. E. Sharpe, p. 3.
  16. Lampe, Katarinca. (2007). "Zgodovinski mejniki pri gospodarjenju z idrijskimi gozdovi".
  17. "Top 10 attractions".
  18. {{Cite EB1911
  19. Lang, Mervyn. (1986). "El derrumbe de Huancavelica en 1786: Fracaso de una reforma borbónica". Histórica.
  20. Golec, Boris. (November 2015). "Kako so natali GORENJCI, DOLENJCI in NOTRANJCI ter kam so izginili KRANJCI". SLO časi, kraji, ljudje. Slovenski zgodovinski magazin.
  21. (1991). "Mineral Reference Manual". Van Nostrand Reinhold.
  22. "History".
  23. "Geographical indication Idrija lace.".
  24. "Pomen rapalske meje in vpliv na morfološki razvoj Idrije ter Žirov". Annales. Series historia et sociologia.
  25. Rijavec, Monika. (2018). "Jeklene ptice nad Idrijo".
  26. "Geographical indication Idrija lace.".
  27. (2011). "Slovenija V". Ljubljansko geografsko društvo, Založba ZRC.
  28. [http://kp.rkc.si/dokumenti/zupnije/seznam.pdf Koper Diocese list of churches] {{webarchive. link. (2009-03-06)

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idrijapopulated-places-in-the-municipality-of-idrijamining-communities-in-sloveniacities-and-towns-in-inner-carniolaworld-heritage-sites-in-sloveniamercury-mining