Carniola

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

Carniola was so named from the Carnian people, as also Carinthia. Concerning whom Valaterranus writeth thus Lib. 2. of his Geographie. The Carnians are beyond the Istrians, the Country is broade, beginning from Forum Iulium, and reaching to the Mountaines. The Country of Carniola although it bee Mountainous, as the other Countries of this Province; yet it hath plenty of Wine, Oyle, Fruite, and Corne. But they make Carniola twofold: the drye which wanteth water: and the moist, in which the River Sauus riseth, and also Naup••tus which is now called Labatus, and many other Rivers. It is adorned with the title of a Dukedome. The chiefe Citty is Labacum, which hath the same name with the River. Some doe place Goritia in Carmola, which we mentioned before in Forum Iulium. On the left hand banck of Sontius upwards, there are two Fortresses, which the Venetians built heretofore to defend the River, and to prevent the incursions and inroads of the Turkes. Moreover there is a Lake in this Country, which affordeth every yeare a harvest, fishing, and hunting. The Inhabitants doe call it Zircknitzerzee from the Towne Zircknitz, which is situated by it. But I will make a more accurrate description of it out of George Wernherus: it is enclosed every where with Mountaines, for halfe a Mile together it is not very broade. Out of the Mountaines there doe issue certaine small Rivers, which are every one contayned in their owne Channells: on the East side there are three, on the South five. The farther that they runne the more narrower they grow, for their bankes are straite, untill they are swallowed up in the stoany passages of the Cliffes, which seeme as if they were cut out by humane Industry. So that where they find an open place the waters doe spread abroade, and make a Lake. These waters doe as speedily runne back as they flowe forward, not onely in those narrow channells, but also through the earth, which when the Inhabitants perceive, they stopp the greater passages, and Concavities, and so goe to fishing, which is both pleasant and profitable. For the fish which they take here being salted is transported to other Countries. Moreover when the Lake is drie they have a kind of harvest, for they sowe it and mowe it before that it be overflow'd againe. It beareth such abundance of grasse, that in twenty dayes it will be ready to cut. Who therefore cannot chuse but admire at these wonders of nature? But so much cocerning these things, I passe to the rest.

1695. Thesaurus geographicus a new body of geography by Abel Swall and Tim. Child.

The Dutchy of CARNIOLA, in High-Dutch, Hortzogthum Krayn; with WINDISHMARCH and the County of GORITIA.

This Province is bounded on the North with Carinthia and Cilley, on the South by a ridge of Mountains, that part it from the Territories of the State of Venice, on the East by Croatia, and on the West by Carinthia. The length of it from East to West, is about 110 miles, and its breadth 40 miles. It is very Mountainous, but has pleasant Valleys which yield store of Corn and Wine. The River Save hath its source in the Western part, and runs quite thro' it, besides which here are other good Rivers.

• Carniola, divided into Upper
  • ...Laubach.
  • ...Crainburg.
  • ...Bischoffslach.
• and Lower; hath these considerable Towns,
  • ...Oberlabach.
  • ...Zircknitz.
• In the Windischmarch, or Marquisate of Windes, which is the South east part of Carniola.
  • ...Metling.
  • ...Rudelphsworth.
• The County of Goritia, on the South-west of Carniola.
  • ...Goritz.
• To these may be added part of Istria, wherein stand
  • S. Viet am Flaum.
• And the Territory of
  • ...Trieste.

LAƲBACH, Labacum, aut Labiana, the Capital of Carniola, stands on the banks of a small River of the same name, which falls into the Save 10 miles below it, and is distant 30 miles from the River Drave to the South, 50 from the Confines of Croatia to the West, and 35 from Trieste upon the Gulph of Venice to the North. It is a well-built City and very populous, the See of a Bishop, and hath a large Castle for its defence, but it is commanded by a Hill, and the Town is not very strong; however endured a Siege in 1440, when Frederick III. being Crown'd at Aken, his Brother Albert and Count Ʋlric attack'd this City, but it held out till the Emperor came to its Relief.

Crainburg, seated on the banks of the Save, 20 miles from Lauback North-west, and 24 from Clagenfurt to the South-east, on the top of a Hill, and fortified with a strong Castle. The Town has three Churches in it, and in the Suburbs is a Monastery of Capuchins. It once gave title to a Marquess.

Lack, or Bishops-Lack, is a handsom well-built fortified City, standing upon a small River, 10 miles South from Crainburg, and 20 East from Laubach. It is subject to the Bishop of Freysing, to whom the Emperor Henry III. gave it, and the Governor of it is his Lieutenant. This Town was plunder'd and burnt in 1451, since when it has been Re-built and better fortified.

Zirknitz, a Town of no great bulk, nor considerable but for the Lake near it, to which it gives name.

This Lake is very wonderful; it is about 4 German miles in length, and 2 in breadth, and from September to June, is full of Water, but the other six Months is quite dry. In June the Water descends thro' many large Holes in the bottom, (at which time the Country People catch abundance of Fish, by laying Nets over the Holes) leaving the bottom quite dry, so that the neighbouring People sow Corn in it, which they have time to reap, and afterwards to put in their Cattle, and let in the Deer and Hares from the neighbouring Forests, which they Hunt in this Lake, and all before the Water returns; for the Earth is exceeding Prolifick: And in September the Water returns, spouting up with great Violence, and to a great height out of these Holes, and soon makes that a Sea, that was before a Field for Corn, Pasture and Hunting; and this happens constantly every Year, and at this certain time.

Ober-Laubach, about 16 miles West from the Laubach, already described, and on the same River with that, is considerable by being a Mart for Italian Goods, which are brought hither in great quantities, and sent to all parts of Germany.

Metling, Metulum, the chief Town of the Windischmark, stands near the Frontiers of Croatia, 35 miles South from Cilley, 25 East from the Lake of Zirknitz, and 25 North from the Gulph of Venice. It is a place of no great Consideration: The chief Trade of the Inhabitants lies in Swine, which they fatten in two neighbouring Woods of Chesnut-trees and Oaks. In the Year 1431 this Town was surpriz'd by the Turks and the Inhabitants massacred. And again, in 1578, it was plunder'd by 'em.

Rudolphworth or Newstat, stands upon the River Gurk 12 miles North-west from Metling: It is a very ancient Town, and honour'd with great Priviledges, which were given them by the Emperor Frederick IV. about the Year 1435. for having oppos'd Albert of Austria and Ʋlric Count of Cilly. This Town is famous for the best Wine in these Parts.

Goritia, a small County in Friuli, is subject to the Emperor. The rest of the Province being subject to the Venetians, shall be describ'd with the rest of Italy. The Chief Town is,

Gortz or Goritz seated upon the River Lizonzo, 20 miles from the Gulph of Venice and 15 from Aquileia to the North, 50 from Clagenfurt to the South, and as much from Laubach to the West. The Town is old, and by some thought to be the old Roman Norricia or Noreia. Dieterich, King of the Goths vanquish'd Odoacer, King of the Heruli, near this Place. The Sclavonian Tongue, spoken in these Provinces, reaches no farther West than this Town, and here the common People speak a corrupt Italian. It was take by the Venetians in 1608. but regain'd by the Emperor the year after; and in 1616 they attempted to surprize it, but were forced to retreat.

Trieste, the Chief Town of the small Province of Karstia, stands on the Adriatique Sea or Gulph of Venice, 30 miles from Aquileia to the East, at the bottom of a Bay, to which it gives Name. It is a small, but strong and populous Place, and a Bishop's See, under the Patriarch of Aquileia; it has a large but unsafe Harbor. The Emperor took this City from the Venetians, A. D. 1507. and has been ever since in possession of it.

S. Viet am Flaum, tho' situate in Istria, which is accounted part of Italy, yet being subject to the House of Austria, must be described here. It is a strong Town, having a Castle, besides Walls and Ditches for its Defence, and is seated on the Adriatick Sea, 30 miles South from Czernickz, and 40 South-west from Metling, and at the Mouth of the River Flaum. The Italian Tongue is here spoken in its Purity, and therefore the Austrian Gentry send their Children here to be taught it. In the Suburbs stand a Monastery, famous for a Treaty of Peace concluded in it between the Emperor and the Venetians, in the Year 1618.