KRAŠEVCI-NATIVE PEOPLE

"The Kraševci (Carsolini in Italian) are well-built and tough as the rock they were born and raised on. They are clear-headed, but also astute. In most cases, they are indigent, because the crops of their land do not yield enough to sustain them throughout the year. The entire Karst [...] is a terrible stony desert and each year, a devastating drought destroys what little hope these farmers have." In 1852, chaplain Štefan Kocijančič used the above words to describe the Kraševci, native people of the Karst.

He also wrote that "they are all tough Slovenes, and their language does not differ much from the language of other Slovenes from the Gorizia region, except that their dialect is clearer."

In the last 150 years social circumstances have changed dramatically in the Karst region and the proverbial plight of the poor farmers has long disappeared. The Kraševci, however, have not changed much during this time and remain closely attached to the Slovenian culture. Their cheery and buoyant nature comes to the fore at numerous local celebrations and typical karst parties, called šagras, as well as with their relaxed socialising at events called osmice. At a typical osmica (which means eight in Slovene), you can enjoy local wine, karst farm delicacies and live music. The event's name comes from the wooden signposts and ivy sprigs that stay fresh for eight days.

It seems that viewing the open horizon of the sea also opens up the mind of the Karst people. Their tenacity, determination and obstinacy - characteristics without which they would not have been able to survive for centuries in a region with so much rock and so little fertile land - remain, as ever. The Karst and the Kraševci have always lived in perfect symbiosis.