Slovenian church wins important Cultural Heritage label
26.12.2017 | Fiona Thompson
How well do you know the area around Tolmin in western Slovenia?
As well as being very beautiful, this part of Slovenia is known because of its associations with the First World War and now that part of its cultural heritage has been selected the to receive the European Heritage Label.
Javorca church – the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit – is regarded as a symbol of peace, and the funds used to build it were collected by soldiers wanting to create a lasting memorial to their fallen comrades. It was even built by skilled Austro-Hungarian soldiers, lower part from stone, the rest from larch wood.
Inside the church, the walls are clad in wooden boards resembling a book of remembrance, onto which are burned the names of more than 8,000 soldiers who perished at the Isonzo Front (1915-1917).
Javorca is one of nine sites across Europe to be awarded the prestigious designation ahead of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018.
Other interesting locations and attractions in the area with connections to the First and Second World Wars include the clandestine WWII hospital museum Franja, and Zaprikraj, an outdoor museum of the First World War where remains of the first Italian line of defence can be seen.