Litija

Municipality_of_Slovenia|nativename=Litija
coat=
location=
area=316.3 km²
population=19,120
males=9,470
females=9,650
mayor=Franci Rokavec
avg_age=41.53 years
residental_density=27.98 m²/person
households=6,319
families=5,270
workers=9,320
unemployed=1,173
salary_date=August 2003
avg_salary_bruto=206,864 SIT
avg_salary_neto=133,577 SIT
students=602

Litija is a town and a municipality in Slovenia, located in the Sava River Valley. The town is home to about 7,000 people while the population of the municipality is about 15,000 (in 2006 the municipality was split). It is located about halfway between the Slovenian capital Ljubljana and Zidani Most.

History

The town of Litija was first mentioned in church scriptures dated to 1145. It developed as a trading post between Trieste, Ljubljana, and Croatia. The town gained market rights in the 14th century. According to Janez Vajkard Valvasor, the name evolved from "litus", the Latin word for 'riverbank'. This makes sense since the town lies on both sides of the Sava River and originally depended on it for income. In Roman times mining developed in Litija and remained one of the primary sources of income until the 1965, when the biggest of the mines closed. In 1849 the Austrian Southern Railway reached Litija and boosted its economy. However, this caused the end of most traditional local professions.

Present

Today the local area is known for its proximity to the geometric center of the country and Vače, where a bronz age vase was discovered. As of 2006 the new mayor of town is Franci Rokavec, from Jevnica.

Coat of Arms

The vase in the coat of arms is calles the "vaška situla" in Slovenian, after the town of Vače. A "situla" is a jar of the Etrurian period. The river in the picture is the Sava, and the boat, called a punt, plate, or pinasse is a typical form of transport in the region.

External links

* [http://www.litija.si/ Litija] , official page of municipality (in Slovene).
* [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/si-060.html#rib] , page about the Coat of Arms