Stanjel

Štanjel is built up a Karst hill in courses of grey limestone with a walled top, and its silhouette, the church with its cylindrical tower and the roofs stepping down the slope, is one of the standard images of the Karst. It was heavily damaged at the end of the Second World War and has been repaired only slowly since. The architect Max Fabiani, born nearby, laid out the Ferrari Garden in 1924-1942 for his relative Enrico Ferrari, on the terraces below the castle, with a pool, pergolas and a water system.

History

Its position has made Štanjel an important settlement since the Iron Age, its growth peaked in the Romanesque period, and in the 17th century it was fortified against Ottoman raids. From 1924 to 1942 the architect Max Fabiani and his relative Enrico Ferrari laid out the terraced Ferrari Garden below the defensive wall (Wikipedia, Štanjel; Slovenian Wikipedia, Štanjel).

What you'll find

• The Ferrari Garden - Max Fabiani's terraced garden with pool, pergolas and stairs.
• The Karst stonework - courses of grey limestone in walls, roofs and lanes.
• The castle - the hilltop complex holding a gallery and the village offices.
• The church tower - the cylindrical tower that gives the village its outline.

When to go

April to October; the garden is at its best in late spring. Summer heat on the stone is heavy at midday. The bora wind is strong in winter and the village is exposed.

Things to know

Much of the village is still restoration in progress and some houses remain shells. The garden is small and can look sparse outside the growing season. Parking is below the village and the lanes are steep and cobbled.

Nearby

Vipava Valley is north, and Sezana is southwest.

Key facts