Bovec

Bovec (ˈbɔːʋəts or ˈboːʋəts; Plezzo, Flitsch, Plèz) is a town in the Littoral region in northwestern Slovenia, close to the border with Italy. It is the central settlement of the Municipality of Bovec. Bovec is located from the capital Ljubljana, at an elevation of . The settlement lies in the Bovec Basin of the upper Soča (Isonzo) River, below the eastern slopes of Mount Kanin in the Julian Alps, forming the border with Italy. The adjacent Trenta Valley in the northwest leads into Triglav National Park. It has been traditionally part of the historic Goriška region, but today locals prefer to identify with the wider region of the Slovene Littoral. Bovec was attested in written sources in 1070 as Plecium and Pletium (and as Vlicez in 1181–96, Plezio in 1257, and Pleç in 1377). During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name designated not only the settlement itself, but also the wider Upper Soča region, including the Trenta Valley. The Slovene name is derived from the Slavic form *blьcь, but this itself is of pre-Slavic origin. The Friulian and German names indicate that the names may be derived from *Plitium or *Pletium, which could possibly be connected with the oronym Phligadia mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Strabo or the place name Phlygades. Less likely possibilities include a connection to the ancient place names Ampletium and Planta. In the local dialect, the settlement is known as Bec. Archaeological finds in the upper Soča Valley indicate continuous settlement since the Hallstatt era. In ancient times, the area on the Roman road leading up to the Predil Pass was part of the northeastern Venetia et Histria region of the Italia province. It was incorporated into the Carolingian March of Friuli, after Charlemagne had conquered the Italian Kingdom of the Lombards in 774. With the medieval Kingdom of Italy, it came under the rule of King Otto I of Germany in 952 and was incorporated into the Imperial March of Verona. Bovec itself was first mentioned in 1192, when it belonged to the ecclesiastical Patria del Friuli, ruled by the Patriarchs of Aquileia.