Idrija

Introducing Idrija

Idrija sits snugly in a deep basin surrounded by hills at the confluence of the Idrijca and Nikova Rivers. When most Slovenes think of Idrija, three things come to mind: žlikrofi, lace and mercury. The women of Idrija have been taking care of the first two for centuries, stuffing the crescent-shaped ‘Slovenian ravioli’ with a savoury mixture of bacon, potatoes and chives as fast as they spin their web-like lace (čipka). The men, on the other hand, went underground to extract the ‘quicksilver’ (živo srebro) that made this town one of the richest in medieval Europe.

The first mine opened at Idrija in 1500, making it the second oldest mercury mine in the world after the one in Almadén in central Spain. By the 18th century, Idrija was producing 13% of the world’s mercury, thought to be the purest. All that meant money – for both Idrija and the imperial court in Vienna. And because of the toxic effects of mercury, doctors and lawyers flocked here to work. The Idrija miners faced many health hazards, but the relatively high wages attracted workers from all over the Habsburg Empire. In the 18th century, Idrija was second in size only to Ljubljana among the towns of Carniola.

The mercury market bottomed out in the 1970s, and the production of this once precious element has ceased altogether in Idrija. But the mine has left the town a difficult and expensive legacy. Idrija sits on something like 700km of shafts that go down 15 levels to 32m below sea level. The first four have now been filled with water and more have to be loaded with hard core and concrete to stabilise the place. Otherwise, they say, the town will sink.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009