Gorizia
Gorizia is a small city, only about 16 square miles in area, and a population less than 40,000 people. Even then, we had not exhausted everything there was to see in two previous visits.
Previously, we missed the opening times for Gorizia Castle. I wasn't going to let that happen on this trip.
More after the jump
It was a beautiful morning when we walked from our hotel to Gorizia Castle. The previous night we had heavy fog, but in the morning it was burning off. For the few days we would be in this part of Italy, we would be in and out of fog.
On the way to the Castle we passed by the the Church of the Assumption (Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta). It was attached to a Capuchin Monastery and originally consecrated in 1596. Both places were rebuilt in 1915, following the devastation of World War I and the Isonzo Campaign.
The church was open, so, of course, we went in.
And there were candles that needed to be lit, and prayers said.
The Capuchins honored in this church several of their own saints, some of whom, I must admit, I was not familiar with previously. For instance, there was St. Leopold Mandič, a saint about whom the whole Catholic world will know more as he is one of the Capuchin saints who will be particularly remembered during the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The local office for Caritas was also in a building attached to this church. This would be the only place in Europe we would see Middle Eastern refugees in any numbers on this trip. There were a few dozen men lined up outside the door, looking as though they were waiting for something (jobs? food?). It was unsettling, and a little unreal because I was so used to seeing the reports on the news (and the debates everywhere) where they seemed more an abstract idea and here they were, in little Gorizia.
After that Myles, Brigid, and I FINALLY made it to Gorizia Castle during their regular hours and toured the whole thing!
Wikipedia actually has a decent entry about Gorizia Castle. It is a place that is hard to date. Construction of the castle was probably started around 1146, though there were possibly other fortifications that predated that. Gorizia (which comes from the Slovene word gora, for hill) was first mentioned in writing in 1001, and the counts that ruled here were from German-speaking areas that are today in Austria. They also bore German, not Italian or Slovene names, like Meinhard and Leonhard. At the height of Gorizian power, the area controlled exists today in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria. The county itself fell into Habsburg hands a few years after the death of the last Count of Gorizia in 1500. The Castle was largely damaged in the Isonzo battles, but in the 1930s was rebuilt.
Since 2015 was the centennial of the start of the Isonzo Campaign, the castle hosted a special exhibit on World War I around and sometimes in place of their usual Medieval displays. Ever since our first visit to Gorizia, I have been particularly interested these World War I battles, so I was looking forward to seeing how this information was presented in this setting.
We stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Unlike our other visits, the Chapel doors were open, so we could see inside, but still through locked glass doors. It was originally built in 1398, but had to be partially restored after World War I.
Inside the castle we tried our best to follow the recommended path for the tour. The signs were nearly all in Italian.
In the middle of the castle was the remains of one of the earliest towers.
Both Myles and Brigid enjoy these smaller castles more than the giant famous ones (like in Salzburg or Prague). These simply look more like story book castles to them.
Inside the exhibits photography was prohibited. Normally the halls display extensive medieval weaponry in reproduction, but some of these were replaced with the World War I information. The kids were not as keen on these as I hoped, though the presentations were mostly only in Italian and reflected the long, drawn out affair that the Isonzo Campaign was. To them it was incomprehensible, brutal, and repetitive. Myles looked at a few of their weapons, but my kids were both ready to move on.
One of the rooms, what appeared to be some sort of banquet hall, housed the castle's large collection of medieval instrument reproductions, like lutes, hurdy-gurdies, etc. This held appeal to all of us. We bought a CD by a local ensemble, Dramsam, who records medieval music. There was also a room that showed the growth of the Castle and the County over the five centuries both mattered much. These were shown in pictures and three-dimensional models.
Near the top of the castle we walked a narrow parapet, from where we could take in beautiful views of Gorizia and Slovenia.
After the Castle and lunch at our "regular" place, we stopped at the Cathedral. The earliest mentions of the first cathedral in Gorizia was in 1296, and the first mention of it being dedicated to St. Hilary was in the 1300s. The original building was replaced by a larger Gothic church in the 1500s. This was replaced again by a Baroque church around 1700. Today's Neoclassical facade is only from the 19th century. Between the almost secular looking facade and the way the Cathedral is situated away from the main streets, I almost missed seeing this. In fact, I am sure I have walked past the Cathedral a half dozen times in the last few visits, not realizing what it was.
Inside the Cathedral, the decoration remained mostly Baroque.
The last Count of Gorizia, Leonhard, was buried in the Cathedral.
And, of course, Myles and Brigid found candles to light. If anything, they were prompted to pray often.
I hadn't yet planned what we were going to do the next day, but I started searching train schedules to see what could make for an uncomplicated side trip (because--why not?). I thought Aquilleia would be perfect, except it was more than five hours by train (I later found the bus would only be 45 minutes, so perhaps another time if it happens). Then I started to look at the trains that left from Transalpina on the Slovenian side of the border. Anything within one hour with no transfers would decrease the likelihood of getting lost. Using Wikipedia and the list of stops on the train, I settled on Most na Soča, a small town on where the Soča (Isonzo) and Isdrija rivers meet. It promised beautiful scenery and, to my surprise, Roman ruins.
My next post in this Europe trip series will be about Most na Soča
Previously, we missed the opening times for Gorizia Castle. I wasn't going to let that happen on this trip.
More after the jump
It was a beautiful morning when we walked from our hotel to Gorizia Castle. The previous night we had heavy fog, but in the morning it was burning off. For the few days we would be in this part of Italy, we would be in and out of fog.
On the way to the Castle we passed by the the Church of the Assumption (Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta). It was attached to a Capuchin Monastery and originally consecrated in 1596. Both places were rebuilt in 1915, following the devastation of World War I and the Isonzo Campaign.
The church was open, so, of course, we went in.
And there were candles that needed to be lit, and prayers said.
The Capuchins honored in this church several of their own saints, some of whom, I must admit, I was not familiar with previously. For instance, there was St. Leopold Mandič, a saint about whom the whole Catholic world will know more as he is one of the Capuchin saints who will be particularly remembered during the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The local office for Caritas was also in a building attached to this church. This would be the only place in Europe we would see Middle Eastern refugees in any numbers on this trip. There were a few dozen men lined up outside the door, looking as though they were waiting for something (jobs? food?). It was unsettling, and a little unreal because I was so used to seeing the reports on the news (and the debates everywhere) where they seemed more an abstract idea and here they were, in little Gorizia.
After that Myles, Brigid, and I FINALLY made it to Gorizia Castle during their regular hours and toured the whole thing!
Wikipedia actually has a decent entry about Gorizia Castle. It is a place that is hard to date. Construction of the castle was probably started around 1146, though there were possibly other fortifications that predated that. Gorizia (which comes from the Slovene word gora, for hill) was first mentioned in writing in 1001, and the counts that ruled here were from German-speaking areas that are today in Austria. They also bore German, not Italian or Slovene names, like Meinhard and Leonhard. At the height of Gorizian power, the area controlled exists today in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria. The county itself fell into Habsburg hands a few years after the death of the last Count of Gorizia in 1500. The Castle was largely damaged in the Isonzo battles, but in the 1930s was rebuilt.
Since 2015 was the centennial of the start of the Isonzo Campaign, the castle hosted a special exhibit on World War I around and sometimes in place of their usual Medieval displays. Ever since our first visit to Gorizia, I have been particularly interested these World War I battles, so I was looking forward to seeing how this information was presented in this setting.
We stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Unlike our other visits, the Chapel doors were open, so we could see inside, but still through locked glass doors. It was originally built in 1398, but had to be partially restored after World War I.
Inside the castle we tried our best to follow the recommended path for the tour. The signs were nearly all in Italian.
In the middle of the castle was the remains of one of the earliest towers.
Both Myles and Brigid enjoy these smaller castles more than the giant famous ones (like in Salzburg or Prague). These simply look more like story book castles to them.
Inside the exhibits photography was prohibited. Normally the halls display extensive medieval weaponry in reproduction, but some of these were replaced with the World War I information. The kids were not as keen on these as I hoped, though the presentations were mostly only in Italian and reflected the long, drawn out affair that the Isonzo Campaign was. To them it was incomprehensible, brutal, and repetitive. Myles looked at a few of their weapons, but my kids were both ready to move on.
One of the rooms, what appeared to be some sort of banquet hall, housed the castle's large collection of medieval instrument reproductions, like lutes, hurdy-gurdies, etc. This held appeal to all of us. We bought a CD by a local ensemble, Dramsam, who records medieval music. There was also a room that showed the growth of the Castle and the County over the five centuries both mattered much. These were shown in pictures and three-dimensional models.
Near the top of the castle we walked a narrow parapet, from where we could take in beautiful views of Gorizia and Slovenia.
After the Castle and lunch at our "regular" place, we stopped at the Cathedral. The earliest mentions of the first cathedral in Gorizia was in 1296, and the first mention of it being dedicated to St. Hilary was in the 1300s. The original building was replaced by a larger Gothic church in the 1500s. This was replaced again by a Baroque church around 1700. Today's Neoclassical facade is only from the 19th century. Between the almost secular looking facade and the way the Cathedral is situated away from the main streets, I almost missed seeing this. In fact, I am sure I have walked past the Cathedral a half dozen times in the last few visits, not realizing what it was.
Inside the Cathedral, the decoration remained mostly Baroque.
The last Count of Gorizia, Leonhard, was buried in the Cathedral.
And, of course, Myles and Brigid found candles to light. If anything, they were prompted to pray often.
I hadn't yet planned what we were going to do the next day, but I started searching train schedules to see what could make for an uncomplicated side trip (because--why not?). I thought Aquilleia would be perfect, except it was more than five hours by train (I later found the bus would only be 45 minutes, so perhaps another time if it happens). Then I started to look at the trains that left from Transalpina on the Slovenian side of the border. Anything within one hour with no transfers would decrease the likelihood of getting lost. Using Wikipedia and the list of stops on the train, I settled on Most na Soča, a small town on where the Soča (Isonzo) and Isdrija rivers meet. It promised beautiful scenery and, to my surprise, Roman ruins.
My next post in this Europe trip series will be about Most na Soča
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