12^th Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School Students' Conference and 14^th CMBE day

EVENT VENUE

The half-a-millennium-long history of Idrija began with the discovery of a rare and valuable liquid metal: mercury. The exciting discovery draw many miners into the valley that soon saw the development of a lively mining settlement, topped with a mining castle Gewerkenegg since 1533. With the discovery of the amalgamation procedure accompanying the discovery of South American silver and gold mines, mercury gained recognition and the Idrija mine soon became the second-largest producer of this sole liquid metal in the world, while abroad it was renowned for its excellent technical equipment.

With the mine on the rise, the 18th century saw Idrija develop into the second largest town in the Kranjska region, welcoming numerous workers from many lands. Some of the most renowned members of the home and European Enlightenment emphasized Its cosmopolitan character. The technical domain was proud of the polymath and klavže constructor Jožef Mrak, while Idrija was put on the international map by the famous natural scientists Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, a Tirolian doctor, and Balthasar Hacquet, a surgeon of Breton descent.

In the 17th century, the miners’ wives began practicing the craft bobbin lacemaking; the beauty and delicateness of their lace were held in high regard especially in the higher class. The most famous lacemaker was Ivanka Ferjančič, an excellent local lacemaker, and the first teacher in Idrija Lace School.

The Gallery is considered one of the oldest baroque buildings in Slovenia and gives the old center of Idrija a recognizable image. The building is known as the (Mining) Magazine and has been closely linked to the lives of Idrija mining families since its inception. The multi-storey building housed a grain warehouse, with which the Mercury Mine paid part of its salary to miners. It lasted for almost half a century from 1764 to 1912.

Today the building has a completely different role and offers spiritual food to its visitors. In addition to the gallery, it also houses the City Library and the Idrija Reading Room and the War Museum. Since 2001, the building has been a monument of national importance. Since 2012, the facility has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the mercury heritage in Idrija.

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