Dobrovo

Dobrovo with some 400 inhabitants is the administrative center of Brda Municipality and also the center of the Brda wine-growing area. The village name is derived from "dob", pedunculate oak, once the most common tree species in Brda. In the immediate vicinity rises the mighty Dobrovo castle where the permanent collection of graphic works of the world-renowned painter Zoran Mušič.
In front of the Municipal building stands a memorial dedicated to the fallen and the victims of World War II, while at the Dobrovo castle there is a sculpture depicting the poet Alojz Gradnik in a typical pose, a work of Jakov Brdar. A visit to Goriška Brda Wine Cellar, the largest cooperative cellar in Slovenia founded in 1957, is a very interesting experience. The visit can be complemented with wine tasting and the purchase of excellent Brda wines. Every year in the beginning of June, a traditional Festival of Cherries is held in Dobrovo.
The beginnings of the Dobrovo Renaissance castle can be traced back to around 1600. It is known that the medieval castle fell into ruin and the current castle was built on its ruins. The walls were probably built during the Second Venetian War, in the period 1615-1617 because the castle had an important strategic role at that time. The four corner towers, offering magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, give the castle its characteristic image. The castle and the estate were the property of the Colloredo family while at the end of 18th century it was taken over by the Catterini-Erzberg family. The last and the best known owner of the castle was Count Silverio de Baguer, a Spanish diplomat, the secretary of Spanish Embassy for Austria, Bavaria, Würtenberg and Hessen in Viennna who married Cecilia de Caterini-Erzberg in 1872. Thus, the property came into the hands of the Baguer family. After World War II, the Allied Military Administration resided in the castle and after 1947 it became the so-called common property of the people. In 1970s it was taken over by the Gorica Museum and its complete renovation started in 1979. The castle was open for the public in 1991, soon after Slovenia became independent.

 

GPS
N: 45,9977
E: 13,5268

 

back >>