Štanjel: between the Karst and time

Štanjel is one of the most beautiful and oldest Karst settlements with an exceptionally rich history. Throughout the centuries, it has been shaped by the stubborn and persistent inhabitants of Štanjel, who built a small settlement on a hill between the Karst and the Vipava Valley. Its view still takes visitors’ breath away with its minimalist yet timeless beauty. The old town center took its shape during the Middle Ages, expanding down the Turn hill. During Roman times, Štanjel was an important strategic point, providing its residents with protection and security through its mighty walls and fortified defense towers.

In Štanjel, one strolls through history, as this small settlement, with only a few dozen inhabitants in its upper part today, showcases the grandeur of typical Karst architecture. The tightly packed houses, arranged in rows, represent the oldest part of the village, which reached its final form in the mid-19th century with numerous stone portals and arches. Over the past decade, changes in Štanjel are evident everywhere – more and more residential houses are being renovated, with some even changing their primary purpose. Old homesteads are being revitalized with small shops, galleries, and exhibition spaces, along with new small eateries and numerous accommodations. These are especially useful for the many wedding celebrations held in Štanjel during the spring, summer, and autumn months, as the village is increasingly becoming a wedding destination. There are also more organized guided tours, experiential events, and activities of inter-municipal and international renown.

The castle is the first entity that captivates visitors when they enter through the main entrance – the Eastern Tower. The castle palace is the largest building in Štanjel, and after more than 70 years, it will finally receive a well-deserved new makeover with completely new and interactive content in the next two years. For 35 years, the Lojze Spacal Gallery has been the central part of its activities, where visitors can view the works of this renowned artist from the Karst, who is also credited with the castle’s restoration after the sad period of wars in the 20th century in the previous country. In addition to the gallery, the lower part of the palace has housed a permanent exhibition about the life and work of Dr. Maks Fabiani – an architect and urban planner, and once the mayor of Štanjel, who left an indelible mark on the town and its surroundings between the two wars.

The Štanjel Castle enchants visitors upon entering through the main entrance.

Upon entering the castle courtyard, visitors are first greeted by the grandeur of the (now restored) stone staircase that connects both parts of the castle. The lower part of the complex is nearly fully renovated – aside from the new conference hall set to open with the final renovation, the lower part now houses the new Štanjel Castle Museum with the exhibition “Nature and Man in the Karst,” highlighting the synergy between the Karst people and nature. The new Štanjel Castle Visitor Centre, the main entry point for guests, offers general information about the castle, Štanjel, and the Karst region. In addition to the shop and the possibility of buying or tasting wines from the Karst (including the Trieste area) and part of the Vipava Valley, guests of Štanjel can also stop at the neighboring Bistro Štanjel Castle.

The Church of St. Daniel is also intriguing and unique, believed to give the village its name according to one explanation. Some members of the Cobenzl family, probably the most significant owners of Štanjel Castle, who mainly used it as their summer residence, are buried here. The church has preserved its Gothic design, a rarity in the Karst, but its distinctive lemon-shaped bell tower reminds us that in Štanjel, nothing is as it seems. Without the unique shape of the bell tower, the view of Štanjel would certainly not be the same. From the church area of Štanjel, there is a magnificent view of the Karst plateau, surrounding villages, and the predominantly wooded landscape, into which the Karst has slowly but inevitably transformed over the past decades.

The Ferrari Garden is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Štanjel.

The Kobdilj Tower, or the Tower at the Gate, which rounds the village in the eastern part, also offers outstanding views of the Karst and the upper Vipava Valley. The path through the tower leads to the remarkable Ferrari Garden, one of the most recognizable landmarks of Štanjel and a cultural monument of national importance. The garden has a rich history, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Enrico Ferrari, a Trieste doctor, bought a series of houses in the upper part and land in the lower parts. The result was one of the most elaborate masterpieces of the late 1920s and 1930s in the Slovenian territory in general. The park was designed on three terraces, where fruit trees were planted, as well as herbs and many aromatic plants. Dr Maks Fabiani, a relative of Ferrari and the architect and town planner who designed the whole park complex with Villa Ferrari, made the lower terrace the most beautiful part of the garden, where the pool with its bridge, fountains, and pavilion can still be admired today. The pool was fed years ago by Fabiani’s elaborate water supply system, which connected the Štanjel hill with cisterns and pipes and supplied water to the family villa and the lower pool, and is still a technological marvel today. The park not only changed the view of Štanjel and its scenery but also had an impact on the life of every inhabitant of Štanjel, as Maks Fabiani’s water supply system made it easier for everyone to have access to drinking water, which was certainly not a given at that time. For centuries, the only source of drinking water for the Karst people were the village wells or “Štjerne”.

In every Karst village, wells, usually placed in village squares or village centers, were a meeting place for the villagers. They were essential for survival, as the Karst is dry on the surface, despite its rich and watery underground. “The ‘Štjerne’ provided drinking water for every family in the village, but the hard-working Crassians, including the Štanjel people, were forced to conserve it, as everyone was aware of its preciousness. Few people had the opportunity to build a well in their own backyard. The Štanjel well, which together with the Romanesque Carthusian House is one of the main meeting points of Štanjel, also provided a source of survival for many. As everyone was aware of the importance of water, a water guardian was chosen from among the villagers to protect it from time to time, so that no one could take more than his share without the knowledge of others. The smaller village square was full of hard-working, sometimes curious ears; the villagers met regularly to solve village problems.

A typical, single-cell Karst house in the village of Štanjel.

For centuries, the Karst house, which is now a museum, has stood in the immediate vicinity of the fountain and is a single-cell house, typical of the Štanjel settlement. The stone roof has been preserved, as have the stone gutters, which still serve their purpose today. In Štanjel, visitors won’t find typical Karst courtyards, known as “borjači,” but rather small buildings and narrow streets leading directly into the Karst houses. The residential areas were always on the upper floors, with the lower floors used for utilities, ensuring access to sunlight and warmth. Stone has always been the main building element, as all the old Karst farmhouses were built with thick walls that kept the heat in during the winter months and prevented it from entering during the summer. The small doors and windows, always surrounded by Karst stone, further protected the inhabitants from the strong winds that often determined the fate of life in the Karst and, consequently, in Štanjel.

Like most Karst villages, Štanjel was built as a compact village to protect its inhabitants from strong gusts of wind. The villagers of Štanjel have been additionally protected for centuries by a mighty wall, part of the old settlement, which later became an indispensable part of some homesteads and the lower part of the castle, mainly due to the lack of space.

We also recommend a visit to the highest part of Turn Hill, the area where it all began a few millennia ago. A visit to Gledanica, the preserved and restored ruins of a 16th-century Venetian tower, and a 360-degree view of the sky in all directions, will surely make any visitor to Štanjel aware and convinced of the importance of this small, but strategically important Karst village, which has always been worth a visit every day of the year.