A former main gate, church art spanning several centuries, and a landscape of flysch and marl give Gologorica a multifaceted character. The village lies on a flysch ridge above the fertile valley in the Raša River basin. If you are looking for accommodation, you can assess Gologorica according to two distinct interests: its historical traces and the geological formations in the surrounding area.
Flysch, Marl, and Geological Time
Around Gologorica, deep ravines cut into marl formations. The marl layers are remnants of the muddy bed of a shallow sea that covered the area about 50 million years ago. The flysch ridge above the valley describes the village’s setting; the marl ravines and the formation of the rock provide the geological context. Piskovica Cave is near Gologorica and is 1,036 metres long. Its length offers a different scale from the landscape features on the surface.
Gate, Lane, and Church Art
The entrance to the village leads through Vela vrata, which was formerly the main gate. From there, a short lane leads to the square by the De Franceschi house, built in 1711. Thus, the former entrance is followed by a lane and a dated building on the square.
At the entrance to Gologorica stands the Romanesque Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was decorated with Gothic frescoes around 1400. The Romanesque architecture and Gothic wall paintings draw attention to different art-historical periods within a single building. In the wider travel destination of Općina Cerovlje, the Church of St. Elija in Draguć is a Romanesque building dating from the late 12th century, made of two-coloured stone blocks.
The cemetery Church of All Saints contains a Glagolitic inscription dated 1549. The parish Church of St. Peter and Paul was built in the 17th century on the site of an older church. Gothic reliefs depicting the Crucifixion and the Entombment of Jesus, dated 1466, survive from this predecessor. The reliefs therefore belong to the earlier church, while the later church building was erected in the 17th century.
Local History and Getting There
Gologorica was first mentioned in 1102. This early date offers a different point of reference from the dates of individual buildings and works of art. The traditional donkey race Trka s tovari is also part of the village’s history: it was revived in 2009 after a 17-year hiatus.
Gologorica can be reached from Cerovlje and Paz via roads through the valley of the Rakov potok. This gives you two clear themes to consider when choosing where to stay: the architectural and artistic history in the village, and the geological landscape around it. You can plan your stay according to which of these matters most to you.
Discover more destinations: Borut, Paz, Novaki Pazinski, Draguc, Korelići, Previž, Grimalda, Cerovlje.
Go to the overview of the wider travel destination: Općina Cerovlje.
