Since 1947, atwin town ofNova Gorica has developed on the other side of the modern-dayItaly–Slovenia border. The region was subject to territorial dispute between Italy andYugoslavia afterWorld War II: after the new boundaries were established in 1947 and the old town was left to Italy, Nova Gorica was built on the Yugoslav side. The two towns constitute aconurbation, which also includes the Slovenian municipality ofŠempeter-Vrtojba. Since May 2011, these three towns have been joined in a common trans-border metropolitan zone, administered by a joint administration board.[5]
Originating as a watchtower or a prehistoric castle controlling the fords of theIsonzo River, Gorizia first emerged as a small village not far from the formerVia Gemina, theRoman road linkingAquileia andEmona (modernLjubljana). The nameGorizia was recorded for the first time in a document dated April 28, 1001, in whichHoly Roman EmperorOtto III donated the castle and the village ofGoriza to thePatriarch of Aquileia John II and to Count VerihenEppenstein ofFriuli. The document referred to Gorizia as "the village known asGoriza in the language of theSlavs" ("Villa quae Sclavorum lingua vocatur Goriza").
The medieval center of Gorizia
Count Meinhard of theBavarianMeinhardiner noble lineage, with possessions aroundLienz inTyrol, is mentioned as early as 1107; as avogt of thePatriarchate of Aquileia he wasenfeoffed with large estates in the formerMarch of Friuli, including the town of Gorizia, and as early as 1127 called himselfGraf von Görz, Count of Gorizia. In the late 13th century, theHouse of Gorizia emerged as one of the most important noble houses in theHoly Roman Empire.The borders of the county changed frequently in the following three centuries due to frequent wars with Aquileia and other counties, and also to the subdivision of the territory in two main nuclei: one around the upperDrava river with the center in Lienz, the other around Gorizia itself. Between the 12th century and early 16th century, the town served as the political and administrative center of this essentially independentCounty of Gorizia, which at the height of its power comprised the territory of the present-day regions ofGoriška, southeastFriuli, theKarst Plateau, centralIstria, western Carinthia andEast Tyrol, and theWindic March withBela Krajina.
From the 11th century, the town had two different layers of development: the upper castle district and the village beneath it. The first played a political-administrative role and the second a rural-commercial role. The name of the central square, known to this day in both languages as Travnik or Traunig ("meadow", in Slovene), testifies to this period.
In the late 15th century, the city rights were expanded to the lower town.
In 1500, the dynasty of the Counts of Gorizia died out and their County passed to AustrianHabsburg rule, after a short occupation by theRepublic of Venice in the years 1508 and 1509. UnderHabsburg dominion, the town spread out at the foot of thecastle. Many settlers fromnorthern Italy moved there and started their commerce. Gorizia developed into a multi-ethnic town, in whichFriulian, German andSlovene were spoken.
In mid-16th century, Gorizia emerged as a center ofProtestant Reformation, which was spreading from the neighboring northeastern regions ofCarniola andCarinthia. The prominentSlovene Protestant preacherPrimož Trubar also visited and preached in the town. By the end of the century, however, theCatholicCounter-Reformation had gained force in Gorizia, led by the local deanJohann Tautscher, who later becamebishop of Ljubljana. Tautscher was also instrumental in bringing theJesuit order to the town, which played a role in the education and cultural life in Gorizia thereafter.
Gorizia was at first part of theCounty of Gorizia and since 1754, the capital of thePrincely County of Gorizia and Gradisca. In ecclesiastical matters, after thesuppression of the Patriarchate of Aquileia in 1751, theArchdiocese of Gorizia was established as its legal successor on the territory of theHabsburg monarchy. Gorizia thus emerged as aRoman Catholic religious center. The archdiocese of Gorizia covers a large territory, extending to theDrava River to the north and theKolpa to the east, with the dioceses ofTrieste,Trento,Como andPedena subject to the authority of the archbishops of Gorizia. A new town quarter developed around the Cathedral where many treasures from the Basilica ofAquileia were transferred. Many new villas were built conveying to the town the typical lateBaroque appearance, which characterized it up toWorld War I. A synagogue was built within the town walls, too, which was another example of Gorizia's relatively tolerant multi-ethnic nature.
During theNapoleonic Wars, Gorizia was incorporated to theFrenchIllyrian Provinces between 1809 and 1813. After the restoration of theAustrian rule, the Gorizia and its county were incorporated in the administrative unit known as theKingdom of Illyria. During this period, Gorizia emerged as a popular summer residence of the Austrian nobility, and became known as the "AustrianNice". Members of the former French rulingBourbon family, deposed by theJuly Revolution of 1830, also settled in the town, including the last Bourbon monarchCharles X who spent his last years in Gorizia. Unlike in most neighboring areas, the revolutionaryspring of nations of 1848 passed almost unnoticed in Gorizia, thus reaffirming its reputation of a calm and loyal provincial town.
The Strassoldo Palace, residence of theBourbon family in exileGorizia at the beginning of the 20th century
In 1849, the County of Gorizia was included in theAustrian Littoral, along withTrieste andIstria. In 1861, the territory was reorganized as thePrincely County of Gorizia and Gradisca and grantedregional autonomy. At that time, Gorizia was a multi-ethnic town; Italian andFriulian,Slovene and German were all spoken in the town center, while in the suburbs Slovene and Friulian prevailed. Although some tensions between the Italian-Friulian and the Slovene population existed, the town continued to maintain a relatively tolerant climate in which both Slovene and Italian-Friulian cultures flourished.
On the eve ofWorld War I, Gorizia had around 31,000 inhabitants and was the third-largest city in theAustrian Littoral, followingTrieste andPula (Pola). Another 14,000 people lived in the suburbs, making it one of the most populous urban agglomerations in theAlpe-Adria area, ahead ofKlagenfurt,Maribor,Salzburg,Bozen orTrento. Within the city limits, about 48% of the population spoke Italian or Friulian as their first language, while 35% were Slovene speakers. In the suburbs, the Slovene speaking population prevailed, with 77% versus 21% Italian/Friulian speakers.
Gorizia was not on the frontline during the first 10 months ofWorld War I, but the first Gorizian victim of the war occurred as early as August 10, 1914, when CountessLucy Christalnigg was shot byLandsturmer guards while driving her car on a mission for the AustrianRed Cross.[7]
Italyentered World War I on theAllied side and conflict withAustria-Hungary began on May 24, 1915. Thehills west of Gorizia soon became the scene of fierce battles between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies. The town itself was seriously damaged and most of its inhabitants had been evacuated by early 1916. TheItalian Army occupied Gorizia during theSixth Battle of the Isonzo in August 1916, with the front line moving to the eastern outskirts of the town. With theBattle of Caporetto in October and November 1917, when theCentral Powers pushed the Italians back to thePiave River, the town returned to Austro-Hungarian control.
After the Battle of Caporetto, Gorizia became the focus of three competing political camps: the unified Slovene nationalist parties that demanded a semi-independentYugoslav state under theHouse of Habsburg, theFriulian conservatives andChristian Socialists who demanded a separate and autonomous Eastern Friuli within anAustrian confederation, and the undergroundItalian irredentist movement working for unification with Italy. At the end of World War I, in late October 1918, the Slovenes unilaterally declared an independentState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, while the Friulians continued to demand an autonomous region under Habsburg rule. Gorizia became a contested town. In early November 1918, it was occupied by Italian troops again, who immediately dissolved the two competing authorities and introduced their own civil administration.
In the first years of Italian administration, Gorizia was included in the Governorate of theJulian March (1918–1919). In 1920, the town and the whole region became officially part of Italy. The autonomous County of Gorizia and Gradisca was dissolved in 1922, and in 1924 it was annexed to theProvince of Udine (then called the Province ofFriuli). In 1927 Gorizia became a provincial capital within the Julian March administrative region. During thefascist regime, all Slovene organizations were dissolved, and the public use of Slovene was prohibited. Underground Slovene organizations, with ananti-Fascist and oftenirredentist agenda, such as the militant insurrectionist organizationTIGR, were established as a result. Many Slovenes fled to theKingdom of Yugoslavia and to South America, especially toArgentina. Many of these emigrants became prominent in their new environments. Very few Slovene-speaking intellectuals and public figures decided to stay in the town, and those few who did, like the writerFrance Bevk, were subject to persecution.
The town, heavily damaged during World War I, was rebuilt in the 1920s according to the plans laid out by the local architectMax Fabiani. Severalrationalist buildings were built during this period, including some fine examples ofFascist architecture. The borders of the town were expanded, absorbing the suburbs of Salcano (Solkan), Podgora,Lucinico, and San Pietro di Gorizia (Šempeter pri Gorici), as well as the predominantly rural settlements of Vertoiba (Vrtojba), Boccavizza (Bukovica) and Sant'Andrea (Štandrež). According to the Italian census of 1921, the expanded town had around 47,000 inhabitants, among whom 45.5% were native Slovene, 33% Italian (mostlyVenetian), and 20.5% Friulian speakers.
After theItalian armistice in September 1943, the town was shortly occupied by theSlovene partisan resistance, but soon fell underNazi German administration. Between 1943 and 1945 it was incorporated into theOperational Zone Adriatic Littoral. The Germans operated a subcamp of the Stalag 337prisoner-of-war camp in the town.[8] The town was briefly occupied by theYugoslav Army in May and June 1945. With the arrival of the Yugoslav partisans in Gorizia in May 1945, a fierce repression began against the opponents, or potential opponents of the regime. At least 1,048 Italian civilians and military disappeared.[9] According to some historians, many of the killings and violence suffered by the Italian ethnic group in Gorizia (and the rest of Friuli and Venezia Giulia) by the Yugoslav army were perpetrated as part of an ethnic cleansing practiced by Tito. Soon the administration was transferred to theAllies, who ruled the town for more than two years, amidst fierce ethnic and political turmoil.
From the late 1940s onward, Gorizia gave refuge to thousands ofIstrian Italians thathad fled the regions annexed to Yugoslavia. Many of those settled in the town and had a role in shaping its postwar national and political identity.
Though a border city, Gorizia was only in part crossed by the border withYugoslavia. Some important old buildings once belonging to Gorizia were included in the Yugoslav territory: these include the oldrailway station of theTransalpina line that connectedTrieste toVillach, as well as to the town landmarks. Although the situation in Gorizia was often compared with that ofBerlin during theCold War, Italy and Yugoslavia had good relations regarding Gorizia. These included cultural and sporting events that favoured the spirit of harmonious coexistence that remained in place after Yugoslavia broke up in 1991.
With the breakup of Yugoslavia, the frontier remained as the division between Italy and Slovenia until the implementation of theSchengen Agreement by Slovenia on December 21, 2007.
Gorizia has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa). The town is located at the confluence of theIsonzo andVipava Valleys. It lies on a plain overlooked by theGorizia Hills. Sheltered from the north and from the east by a mountain ridge, Gorizia is completely protected from the coldbora wind, which affects the rest of the neighboring areas. The town thus enjoys an exceptionally mild climate throughout the year, making it a popular resort town.
The Italy–Slovenia border runs by the edge of Gorizia andNova Gorica, and there are several border crossings between the cities. The ease of movement between the two parts of town has depended very much on the politics of both countries, ranging from strict controls to total free movement since December 21, 2007, when Slovenia joined theSchengen area.
Designated border crossings are (Gorizia-Nova Gorica):
Casa Rossa–Rožna Dolina: main international crossing checkpoint
Via San Gabriele–Erjavčeva ulica: previously only for local traffic with passes, nearest crossing to Nova Gorica center
Via del Rafut-Pristava: previously only for local traffic with passes
Transalpina Square: open pedestrian square dissected by the border that was once fenced. The square was never an official crossing and signboards were erected to prohibit people from crossing the square from one side to the other
The major highway crossing at Sant'Andrea–Vrtojba is located nearby to the south of the city.
As of 2025, there are 33,666 people residing in Gorizia, of whom 49.3% are male and 50.7% are female. Minors make up 12.9% of the population, and pensioners make up 28.5%. This compares with the Italian average of 14.9% minors and 24.7% pensioners.[2]
The chart below shows the historical development of the population of Gorizia from the late 18th century to the eve of World War I, according to official Austrian censuses. The figures show the population of the municipality of Gorizia in the boundaries of the time. The criteria for the definition of the ethnical structure were changing over the years: in 1789, only the religious affiliation of the population was taken into account; in 1869 the ethnic affiliation was also recorded, with Jews counted as a separate category; in 1880 the category of ethnicity was replaced by themother tongue, and from 1890 to 1910 only the "language of everyday communication" (German:Umgangsprache) was recorded. After 1869, the Jews were only recorded as a religious community, under the official category of "Israelites". The data below refer to the population within the current borders of the city:
There are many important Roman Catholic sacral buildings in the area, among them the sanctuaries ofSveta Gora ("Holy Mountain") and theKostanjevica Monastery, both of which are now located inSlovenia.
Until 1943, Gorizia had aJewish community; most of its members were murdered inthe Holocaust.[18] ALutheran community exists in Gorizia.
The castle, built within the medieval walls, was once the seat of the administrative and judiciary power of the county. It is divided into the Corte dei Lanzi (with foundings of a high tower demolished in the 16th century), the Palazzetto dei Conti (13th century) and the Palazzetto Veneto. The Lanzi were the armed guards, the term being an Italian form ofLandsknecht. The palatine chapel, entitled to SaintBartholomew houses canvases of the Venetian school of painting and traces ofRenaissancefrescoes. There is also a Museum of the Goritian Middle Ages.
The cathedral (originally erected in the 14th century), like many of the city's buildings, was almost entirely destroyed during World War I.[citation needed] It has been rebuilt following the forms of the 1682 edifice, aBaroque church with splendidstucco decoration. AGothic chapel of San Acatius is annexed to the nave.
The church of Gorizia ofSt. Ignatius of Loyola, built by theJesuits in 1680–1725. It has a single nave with precious sculptures at the altars of the side chapels. In the chancelChristoph Tausch painted theGlory of St. Ignatius in 1721.
ThePalazzo Attems Petzenstein (19th century), designed byNicolò Pacassi.
Saint Roch's Church.
Palazzo Cobenzl, today seat of the archbishops.
The Counts of Lantieri's house, which housedemperors and popes in its history.
ThePalazzo Coronini Cronberg, including an art gallery.
The Department of International and Diplomatic Sciences of the University of Trieste, hosted in theSeminario Minore, is an academic course in foreign affairs.
Gorizia is also the site of a choral competition, the "C. A. Seghizzi" International Choir Competition, which is a member of theEuropean Grand Prix for Choral Singing.[21]
^Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Overmans, Rüdiger; Vogt, Wolfgang (2022).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. p. 333.ISBN978-0-253-06089-1.
