Page 131 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 131
Abstracts
Interpretations of stone in the Karst yesterday, today and tomorrow
Jasna Fakin Bajec
The aim of this paper is to present the process by which the karst stone as a typical element
of the natural landscape has become the main identifying symbol in the discourse on the
formation and consolidation of the regional identity of the Karst. This symbol does, how-
ever, bear several different interpretations. Despite the fact that the regional identity of the
Karst began taking shape already in the 19th century, it was with Slovenia’s declaration
of independence that it began consolidating and deepening anew, in particular through a
more intense confrontation of the people of the Karst with the processes of globalisation.
Among other things, these processes stimulated a relocalisation or rediscovering of tradi-
tional elements of the natural environment and the local way of life, which have in modern
times acquired certain functions and meanings different to those of the past. This article
presents the various meanings of stone in the Karst throughout history (stone as the main
building material, a symbol of poverty, a decorative element, a status symbol, an identifying
element, etc.) with an emphasis on the expression of its identifying function and the role
therein of various agents (local politicians, experts, businessmen, local residents). We can
safely say that in the Karst today, stone no longer represents a symbol of poverty as it did
only a few decades ago, but has become an important generator of linking the past way of
life with the present. Moreover, there is now growing awareness that it should also become
a source of sustainable development.
Keywords: the Karst, stone, local identity, heritage
Fireplaces in the Vipava valley
Špela Ledinek Lozej
The article discusses the form, structure, meanings, and changes of fireplaces in the Vipa-
va Valley. The older fireplaces were low, large and made of stone. In time, fireplaces became
smaller and were built off the ground. This lifting of fireplaces coincided with the develop-
ment of smoke exhausts through the hood and the chimney. Newer fireplaces were placed
129
Interpretations of stone in the Karst yesterday, today and tomorrow
Jasna Fakin Bajec
The aim of this paper is to present the process by which the karst stone as a typical element
of the natural landscape has become the main identifying symbol in the discourse on the
formation and consolidation of the regional identity of the Karst. This symbol does, how-
ever, bear several different interpretations. Despite the fact that the regional identity of the
Karst began taking shape already in the 19th century, it was with Slovenia’s declaration
of independence that it began consolidating and deepening anew, in particular through a
more intense confrontation of the people of the Karst with the processes of globalisation.
Among other things, these processes stimulated a relocalisation or rediscovering of tradi-
tional elements of the natural environment and the local way of life, which have in modern
times acquired certain functions and meanings different to those of the past. This article
presents the various meanings of stone in the Karst throughout history (stone as the main
building material, a symbol of poverty, a decorative element, a status symbol, an identifying
element, etc.) with an emphasis on the expression of its identifying function and the role
therein of various agents (local politicians, experts, businessmen, local residents). We can
safely say that in the Karst today, stone no longer represents a symbol of poverty as it did
only a few decades ago, but has become an important generator of linking the past way of
life with the present. Moreover, there is now growing awareness that it should also become
a source of sustainable development.
Keywords: the Karst, stone, local identity, heritage
Fireplaces in the Vipava valley
Špela Ledinek Lozej
The article discusses the form, structure, meanings, and changes of fireplaces in the Vipa-
va Valley. The older fireplaces were low, large and made of stone. In time, fireplaces became
smaller and were built off the ground. This lifting of fireplaces coincided with the develop-
ment of smoke exhausts through the hood and the chimney. Newer fireplaces were placed
129
