Štrigova

Geography and demographics

The village of Štrigova is located 19 kilometres north-west of Čakovec, the seat and largest city of Međimurje County, and approximately two kilometres south-east of the border crossing with Slovenia in Razkrižje.

In the 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 2,766 in 10 villages. A total of 2,593 people living in the municipality identified themselves as Croats during the census. Although Štrigova is the seat of the municipality, it was only the third-largest village in the municipality during the census, with Sveti Urban and Železna Gora having higher populations. The 10 villages in the municipality, with their populations in the 2011 census, are:

Banfi – 262

Grabrovnik – 274

Jalšovec – 144

Leskovec – 109

Prekopa – 234

Robadje – 159

Stanetinec – 195

Sveti Urban – 481

Štrigova – 443

Železna Gora – 465

The municipality covers an area of 39.31 km². The area of the municipality covers a major part of the so-called Upper Međimurje (Croatian: Gornje Međimurje), which is a hilly region largely covered with forests and vineyards. The village of Štrigova is located 202 metres above sea level.

Economy

The economy of the municipality is largely focused on its agriculture. Many hills in the municipality were planted with vineyards and the production of wine is a major business in the municipality. There are many wine cellars throughout the municipality, most of which are privately owned, but there is also a large communally-owned wine cellar in Štrigova.

Cattle breeding and dairy products are also an important part of the economy of the municipality, although to a lesser extent in comparison with the production of wine, as well as rural tourism.

History

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 Stridon, the birthplace of Saint 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...). Štrigova 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.