New Cycle of Experiences in Nova Gorica And

Contents Nova Gorica 4 On foot around the city 6 Trg Evrope (Square of Europe) 6 Railway station 8 Museum collection “Kolodvor” (Railway Station) 10 Erjavcevaˇ ulica (Erjavcevaˇ Street) – alley of remembrance 11 Trg Edvarda Kardelja (Edvard Kardelj Square), pine grove and con-cathedral Jesus the Saviour 20 Žabji kraj, Šolska ulica (Šolska Street), Solkan Squares 24 Solkan bridges, war cemetery 27 Ulica IX. korpusa (IX. Korpusa Street) 29 Between apartment blocks to main street 30 City centre, sports park and modern apartment blocks 34 Kostanjevica, Rafut 37 In sporting mood around the outskirts 40 Panovec 40 Socaˇ River 41 Guardians of the Alps 42 A full table of delights 46 Nova Gorica The settlement of the area of Goriška goes back a long way into the past but older cultures living here left behind very few traces. The first preserved deeds, which clearly mention this region, are from the middle of the Middle Ages, dating precisely from 1001 when Solkan was more important than Gorica. The same deed confirms that the name “Gorica” is of Slavic origin although in later centuries, when Gorica became the centre of the region, it was also written as Görz, Goritia, Gurize, and Gorizia. The area was inhabited by Slovenians, Friulians, Germans, Jews, Austrians, and Italians, who, regardless of their nationality, lived through the same experiences, were part of the same organized political communities, worshipped the same Gods and cursed the same authorities! For many years, from 1500 until the First World War, Goriška (with rare interruptions) belonged to the Habsburg or Austrian Crown. During the First World War, this was where vicious conflicts took place between the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Italy and as a result local people had to flee as refugees. When coming back, they were faced with ruins and another state: Italy. After the Second World War, precisely, on 15 September 1947, a new state border was created between Italy and Yugoslavia cutting the thousand-year long ties, leaving the town to Italy and encouraging the growth of a new centre, the new Gorica. Politicians, who were ready to invest billion of dinars into the new town, declared it would be “A city to shine across the border”. The urban design by Edo Ravnikar came the closest to the idea, when he drew a new axis, the city’s main road, in parallel with the railway line. The Nova Gorica foundation stone was laid on 13 June 1948. In spite of the belief in the future, which is represented by the construction of the new, we have to nurture the archive of memories. There is no lack of recollections of times past. We would like to invite you to take a leisurely walk through the city, as far as the railway bridge across the Soča River (know in Italian as Isonzo) which will reveal an interesting piece of history about Slovenians at the western front of the national territory. In this particular case, our starting point will be the Square of Europe near the Railway Station. If you would prefer to experience the area in a more energetic way we would like to propose a climb to the peaks above the city, or the recreational activities in the Panovec Forest or near the Soča River. But you can also stay smart and bury yourself in the library, spend the day by visiting museum collections, visit an exhibition or a theatre performance, or catch the last bet in the casino. In any case, do not forget to visit some of the “gostilnas” and restaurants which are in abundance in the city and its vicinity. Welcome! 5 On foot around the city Trg Evrope (Square of Europe) The newest square in the young city The area of Goriška attracted got its name upon the entry of Slovenia entrepreneurs and artists and, due to its into the European Union on 1 May favourable climate, wealthy noblemen 2004. It is decorated with a mosaic of and retired officers for whom Gorica was the new Europe which was designed becoming a kind of Austrian Nice. An by Franko Vecchiet, a Slovenian artist organised and calm city, it was famous from Trieste. The architectural solution for its multiculturalism. Even simple was contributed by a citizen of Gorica, people, quite often barely literate, had Romano Schnabl who had a difficult task no difficulties in communicating in since he was elaborating on the legacy four languages: Slovenian, German, left by Max Fabiani (1865-1962), the then Italian and Friulan. Did all this belong to most respected Austro-Hungarian town- another time and another perception of planning professional and a renowned the space? Did it dry up with the former architect. Fabiani drew the streets, population? Can it ever return? The joint which run from the station in the form Square of Europe is definitely better of a fan, into five directions, although than the barbed wire in the middle most of them ended up in fields after of the square but all the rest is only approximately hundred metres! Fabiani memories and dreams for now. envisaged a fast development of the city, which actually did start to breathe with the coming of the railway. 6 In sunny weather it is possible to read the exact time on the sun clock made from the driving wheel of a steam locomotive and set up on the Italian side of the square. A peculiarity of the clock is that in the winter time, the exact time is shown on the lower side of the wheel, and in the summer, on the upper part of the wheel. 7 Railway station This mighty building, which is the line was managed on which powerful oldest public building in the city, was steam locomotives pulled 70 trains a day. constructed together with the Bohinj The direct fast trains sped to Prague, railway line and began its functioning Vienna, Munich, Ostende, and Trieste. in 1906. The plan for the building was The local line to Ajdovščina was contributed by the Vienna architect, supposed to be extended to Ljubljana Robert Seelig. The historical design has opening a new route to the East. a rich decoration of the Secessionist Bohemian inhabitants from Goriška style, the most expressive on the west went to drink coffee in Trieste in the façade and in details of the furnishings: morning, and a beer in Carinthia in unfortunately, many have been lost. the afternoon! Locomotives were From here, a bustling traffic on the maintained and prepared for the 8 journeys in a mighty half-circled Today, only a few local trains to Sežana, engine-shed at the eastern part of Ajdovščina, Jesenice and Ljubljana run the station where a water tower and on it. In 1974, steam locomotives were a coal loading facility are preserved. retired in favour of diesel trains but The entire line from Prague crossing occasionally, the steam powered train Linz and Villach to Trieste, also is put into harness and its whistle can known as the “Neue Alpenbahnen” still be heard. or “Transalpina” is 717 km long and is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe. Its formal opening which took place on 19 September 1906 was attended by the successor to the throne himself, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Unfortunately, less than a decade later, the line found itself in the middle of the maelstrom of the war and after the First World War the state borders cut the route in such a manner that it never shone again with its initial splendour. The border after the Second World War also cut the connection to Trieste. 9 Museum collection “Kolodvor” (Railway Station) In the twentieth century the roof and occasionally inscriptions like inhabitants of Goriška changed their “We are building socialism” or “Long live state more often than they bought a brotherhood and unity of our nations” new dress, but above all, the border were added. Today, the star is one of cut through the space which they had the exhibits of the museum collection always before felt as theirs. In addition, which presents the events on the this was not an ordinary border, but border from the end of the Second a line of separation between the World War to the Independence of East and the West, protected with Slovenia and its accession to the barbed wire. The railway station European Union in pictures, in words unintentionally became the silent and with objects. herald of the birth of a new society: a great red star was dragged onto the 10 Erjavcevaˇ ulica (Erjavcevaˇ Street) – alley of remembrance Going south from the railway station busts of famous citizens from the area to the right would take you to Gorica and other people who have worked and to the left Erjavčeva Street takes creatively here or have significantly you to Nova Gorica. Once, this road marked our space are lined up and used to lead to the main city cemetery there are monuments of freer forms which was destroyed during the First that are dedicated to other persons. World War and later relocated several The monuments are not set up one kilometres to the south. During both after another in chronological order wars, this is where people dug and and in the continuation of the text they burned clay; today the last preserved are described as they are encountered building of the former brickworks on the way to the city centre. Along (“Frnaža”) hosts the Local Community Erjavčeva Street and on Edvard Kardelj Centre. The street ends at the Square there are five more sculptures by roundabout at the main city road – young artists.

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