Horjul, Horjul

Horjul (pronounced [xɔˈɾjuːl]) is a small town in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. It is the administrative center of the Municipality of Horjul. It developed from a clustered village on the north side of the marshy valley of Horjulka Creek. It includes the hamlets of Vovčne and Lipalca. Elevations in the territory of the settlement include Brezovec Hill (471 m), Rog Hill (448 m), and Lupar Hill (Slovene: Luparjev grič) (ca. 420 m) to the north, and Rožman Peak (Slovene: Rožmanski vrh) (452 m), Kremenik Hill (406 m), and Čelc Hill (391 m) to the south.

Name

The origin of the name Horjul is unclear; various theories have tried to derive it from a Romance or Celtic root. In the local dialect the town is known as Frjuj.

Religious heritage

Church

The parish church in the town of Horjul is dedicated to Saint Margaret and belongs to the Ljubljana Archdiocese. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1526. The church was originally built in Gothic style and was renovated in 1678. The rectory dates from 1787, when the Parish of Horjul was established. Two side chapels were built in 1858 following plans by Anton Leben from Polhov Gradec. The church's frescoes depicting Saint Margaret and various saints were painted in 1877 by Janez Šubic, who also created the altar painting of Saint Margaret in 1876. The church's main altar and side altar were made by the Toman workshop of Ljubljana.