Štrigova

Štrigova (formerly Stridon?) is a village in Međimurje County in northern Croatia. It is located 19 kilometres northwest from the county seat Čakovec and approximately two kilometres southeast from the Slovenian border-crossing point in Razkrižje. The village has a population of 447 as of 2001 census and is the seat of a municipality that also encompasses nine other villages and had a total population of 3,221 as of the same census. The entire area of the municipality is an upland consisting of numerous hills and is also known as the Upper Međimurje. Štrigova itself stands at 202 metres above sea level.

These hills are favourable ground for growing grapes in the vineyards and the village itself as well as the entire municipality are well known for the production of wine. There is a large wine cellar located in Štrigova and several privately owned cellars operate in villages all over the municipality. First documents about the existence of Štrigova date from the 13th century, but its most notable buildings were built between 15th and 18th century and include the Church of St. Jerome and Church of Mary Magdalene, which is the main church of the local parish.

Unidentified sources claim that this town was the birthplace of St. Jerome (one of several such claims) which is geographically impossible based on the description that he himself made of his birthplace in his "De viris illustribus":

"Caput CXXXV, Hieronymus patre Eusebio natus, oppido Stridonis, quod a Gothis eversum, Dalmatae quondam Pannoniaeque confinium fuit..." (Chapter 135. Jerome. I, Jerome, son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which is on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia and was overthrown by the Goths...). Štrivoga is nowhere near the ancient Dalmatia and therefore does not meet the description given by St. Jerome. Also, as written in the original Latin, his birthplace was Strido, which is not synonymous to Stridon.

The Church of St. Jerome was rebuilt in 1749 by famous artist Ivan Ranger following the demolition of the original 15th century-built chapel by an earthquake in 1738. There are also two historical castles located in the municipality. The Banfi Castle in Banfi was built by Count Banffy in 1373 and Tkalec Castle on Kalec hill is believed to be built by local Paulines in the 18th century.

After the Second World War, the village of Štrigova was populated with Slovenian and Croatian people, and together with the neighboring municipality of Razkrižje then given to Slovenia. According to Slovenian sources, due to the Catholic parishes division the villages of Štrigova and Razkrižje were given to Croatia in 1947 People protested and Razkrižje was given back to Slovenia. Croats stopped protests of Slovenians in Štrigova with the terror and massacre of 70 Slovenians

Other villages in the municipality of Štrigova are Banfi, Grabrovnik, Jalšovec, Leskovec, Prekopa, Robadje, Stanetinec, Sveti Urban and Železna Gora. The municipality covers an area of slightly more than 39 square kilometres.

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