Carniola (; , ; ; ) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region still tend to identify with its traditional parts Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola (with the sub-part of White Carniola), and to a lesser degree with Inner Carniola. In 1991, 47% of the population of Slovenia lived within the borders of the former Duchy of Carniola.
Overview
A state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Austrian Circle and a duchy in the hereditary possession of the Habsburgs, later part of the Austrian Empire and of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land from 1849, when it was also subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola, until 1918. From the second half of the 13th century, its capital was Ljubljana (Laibach). Previous overlords of Carniola had their seats in Kranj (Krainburg) and Kamnik (Stein), which are therefore sometimes referred to as its earlier capitals. Nowadays, its territory (in the extent at its dissolution) is almost entirely located in Slovenia, except for a small part in northwest Italy, around Fusine in Valromana. Carniola in its final form, established in 1815, encompassed . In 1914, before the beginning of World War I, it had a population of slightly under 530,000 inhabitants, of whom 95% were Slovenes.
Geography
The region was crossed by the Julian and Karavanken Alps. The highest mountain peaks are Nanos, ; Vremščica, ; Snežnik, ; and Triglav, . The main rivers were the Sava, Tržič Bistrica, Kokra, Kamnik Bistrica, Sora, Ljubljanica, Mirna, Krka, and Kolpa rivers. Notable lakes included Black Lake (), Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled, and Lake Cerknica. Nearby is the Ljubljana Marsh, and a series of hot and mineral springs which can be found at Dolenjske Toplice, Šmarješke Toplice, and Izlake.
Agriculture thrived more in Upper Carniola than in Lower Carniola. The Vipava Valley was especially famous for its wine and vegetables, and for its mild climate. The average temperature was in spring, in summer, in autumn, and in winter.
In 1910 the main railroads were the Southern, Prince Rudolf, Bohinj, Kamnik, Lower Carniola, and Vrhnika railroads. The principal cities and towns in the region were Kamnik, Kranj, Tržič, Vrhnika, Vipava, Idrija, Turjak, Ribnica, Metlika, Novo Mesto, and Vače.
History
Overview
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Lombards settled in Carniola, followed by Slavs around the sixth century AD. As a part of the Holy Roman Empire, the area was successively ruled by Bavarian, Frankish and local nobility, and eventually by the Austrian Habsburgs almost continuously from 1335 to 1918, though beset by many raids from the Ottomans and rebellions by local residents against Habsburg rule from the 15th to the 17th centuries. From about 900 AD until the 20th century, Carniola's ruling classes and urban areas spoke German, while the peasantry spoke Slovene.
The capital of Carniola, originally located at Kranj (), was briefly moved to Kamnik () and finally to the current capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana ().
Chronology
Fourth century: Germanic settlements of Herules (or Heruli). Fifth century: Germanic settlements of Langobards (or Lombards). Sixth century: Slovene settlements. Eighth century: Carniola a part of the Empire of Charlemagne. 10th century: Carniola a separate country. 1278: Death of Ottokar II of Bohemia. Carniola absorbed in the Habsburg dominions. 14th century: The province under Albert III. 15th–16th centuries: Ravages of the Ottomans. 1527–1564: Progress of the Reformation in Carniola. 1564: Death of Ferdinand I. Carniola under the Archduke Charles. Religious persecutions begin. 1763: Political administration of "Inner Austria" centralized at Graz. 1790: Accession of Leopold II. Partial revival of autonomy. 1797: First French invasion. 1805: Second French invasion. 1809: Treaty of Schönbrunn. Carniola under French rule. 1814: Congress of Vienna. Carniola restored to Austria.
Antiquity and Middle Ages
Before the coming of the Romans (), the Taurisci dwelt in the north of Carniola, the Pannonians in the southeast, the Iapodes or Carni, a Celtic tribe, in the southwest.
Carniola formed part of the Roman province of Pannonia; the northern part was joined to Noricum, the south-western and south-eastern parts and the city of Aemona to Venice and Istria. In the time of Augustus all the region from Aemona to the Kolpa River (Culpa) belonged to the province of Savia.