View of Štanjel

Archaeological excavations confirm that the origins of Štanjel date back to the Hallstatt period. During this period, a fortress (castelliere) was built on the Thurn hill, which was later occupied and expanded by the Romans. The castle allowed control of the passage from the Karst to the Wippach valley. In the Middle Ages, the fortress became an important trading post. A settlement spread out on the surrounding terraces, which was first mentioned in the Gorizia Urbar in 1402. The town was under the control of the Counts of Gorizia, who had a defensive wall built in the 15th century to protect it from the Ottomans. After the death of the last Gorizia count, Leonhard of Gorizia (1440–1500), Štanjel became the property of the Habsburgs and gradually lost its importance as an important trading post. In 1508, the settlement was briefly occupied by the Republic of Venice. From the 16th to the 19th century, the Counts Cobenzl, whose family members were diplomatic representatives of the Habsburgs, resided in Štanjel. The noble family converted the Štanjel Castle into one of their residences and used the local church as a family burial site.