Cerknica (pronounced [ˈtseːɾknitsa] ⓘ; Italian: Circonio, German: Zirknitz[2]) is a town in the Karst region of southwestern Slovenia, with a population of 4,018 (2016 census). It is the seat of the Municipality of Cerknica. It belongs to the traditional region of Inner Carniola.[3]
Cerknica
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Town
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From top, left to right: Cerknica skyline, Nativity of Mary Church, Udovič House, Gerbič House, Cerknica Lake
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Flag 
Coat of arms | |
  Cerknica Location in Slovenia | |
| Coordinates: 45°47′47″N 14°21′29″E / 45.79639°N 14.35806°E / 45.79639; 14.35806 | |
| Country |  Slovenia |
| Traditional region | Inner Carniola |
| Statistical region | Littoral–Inner Carniola |
| Municipality | Cerknica |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.8 km2 (5.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 558.8 m (1,833.3 ft) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,018 |
| • Density | 270/km2 (700/sq mi) |
| Vehicle registration | LJ |
| Climate | Cfb |
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Cerknica was first attested in written sources as Circhinitz in 1040 (and as Czirknicz in 1145, Cyrknitz in 1261, and Cirnizza in 1581). The name is derived from *Cerkvnica, a univerbationof*Cerkvna (vas) 'church village'. A church was established very early in Cerknica, probably already in the 9th century. The original structure was burned down in an Ottoman attack in 1472.[4]
There are three churches in Cerknica. The parish church is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary.[5] It stands at the top of a hill in the center of Cerknica at the site of a former fortification against Ottoman raids. It is a late Gothic hall church, a triple-naved structure with lierne vaulting built between 1480 and 1520 at the site of an earlier church that was burned during an Ottoman attack in 1472. A Baroque chapel was added to the church in the 18th century and the church's furnishings date from the 19th century.[6]
The other two churches are chapels of ease dedicated to John the Baptist and Saint Roch.[5] Saint John the Baptist Church is a cemetery church south of the main settlement. A chapel was mentioned at the site in a visitation report of 1581; the church itself was built in 1642. It has a rectangular nave, a polygonal chancel walled on three sides, and a bell tower. The interior combines groin vaulting and barrel vaulting with spandrels.[7] Saint Roch's Church stands in the northern part of Cerknica. It was built between 1630 and 1644 at the site of a plague chapel dating to 1578. It has a rectangular nave, a polygonal chancel walled on three sides, and a bell tower. The altar painting of Saint Roch is a 1763 work by Anton Cebej.[8]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 1,210 | — |
| 1953 | 1,404 | +16.0% |
| 1961 | 1,716 | +22.2% |
| 1971 | 2,295 | +33.7% |
| 1981 | 3,148 | +37.2% |
| 1991 | 3,446 | +9.5% |
| 2002 | 3,532 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 3,928 | +11.2% |
| 2021 | 4,022 | +2.4% |
| Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. | ||
Notable people that were born or lived in Cerknica include:
Media related to Cerknica at Wikimedia Commons
