Kanal ob Soči

Kanal ob Soči
Town and Municipality

Kanal ob Soči

Location of the Municipality of Kanal ob Soči in Slovenia
Kanal ob Soči

Location of the Town of Kanal ob Soči in Slovenia

Coordinates: 46°5′17″N 13°40′10″E / 46.08806°N 13.66944°ECoordinates: 46°5′17″N 13°40′10″E / 46.08806°N 13.66944°E
Country  Slovenia
Government
  Mayor Andrej Maffi (SLS)
Area
  Total 146.53 km2 (56.58 sq mi)
Population (2002)[1]
  Total 5,948
  Density 41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+01)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+02)
Website www.obcina-kanal.si

Kanal ob Soči (pronounced [kaˈnaːl ɔp ˈsoːtʃi] or [kaˈnaːu̯ ɔp ˈsoːtʃi]; Italian: Canale d'Isonzo, German: Kanalburg) is a town and municipality in Slovenia, established in 1995 by secession from Nova Gorica.[2] It lies near the railway track between Nova Gorica and Jesenice. The name Kanal comes from the shape of the valley. The settlement was established in ancient times, and the first records date back to 1264, the year 1336 mentions the name of Dvor Svete Marije, and bridge in 1350.

The town itself is an important crossing point over the Soča River. The first bridge was built by the Romans. The current bridge was built after World War I. There are plans for building a new bridge to reduce traffic through the center. The bridge is around 17 meters tall and there are yearly diving events in mid-August. The center of the town was fortified in the Middle Ages. There are four towers left called bastions. There is also a beautiful fountain called Neptune's Fountain, built in 1815, in the town center next to the main church. There used to be a small castle, which was destroyed in 1264 and later rebuilt after the First World War as a residential building.

The parish church in the town was built in 1430 on the site of an earlier church. It was extended in the late 18th century and is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and belongs to the Diocese of Koper.[3] A second, smaller church in the town is dedicated to Saint Anne and was first mentioned in documents dating to 1542.[4]

In the 19th century small manufacturing plants were established. There is a small factory called Plastik Kanal in the town. About a kilometre south in the village of Anhovo is a large cement factory called Salonit Anhovo and two smaller ones called ESAL and INDE.

The town's volleyball team, OK Salonit Anhovo, is named after the company. They were national champions many times about 15 years ago.[5]

Settlements in the municipality

Ajba, Anhovo, Avče, Bodrež, Deskle, Doblar, Gorenja vas, Kal nad Kanalom, Kambreško, Kanalski Vrh, Kostanjevica pri Ligu, Krestenica, Levpa, Lig, Ložice, Morsko, Plave, Ročinj, Seniški Breg, Ukanje and Zapotok

Notable natives and residents

Events

References

External links

See also

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