| Šmihel | |
|---|---|
  Šmihel Location in Slovenia | |
| Coordinates: 46°9′25.72″N15°13′20.31″E / 46.1571444°N 15.2223083°E Coordinates: 46°9′25.72″N15°13′20.31″E / 46.1571444°N 15.2223083°E | |
| Country |  |
| Traditional region | Styria |
| Statistical region | Savinja |
| Municipality | Laško |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.62 km2 (0.24 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 428 m (1,404 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 56 |
| [1] | |
Šmihel (pronounced [ʃmiˈxeːu̯] ) is a settlement in the Municipality of Laško in eastern Slovenia. It lies on a hill above the right bank of the Savinja River, just west of Laško. The area was traditionally part of the Styria region. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Savinja Statistical Region. [2]
The Municipality of Laško is a municipality in eastern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Laško. Traditionally the area was part of the Styria region. The municipality is now included in the Savinja Statistical Region.
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a sovereign state located in southern Central Europe at a crossroads of important European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometers (7,827 sq mi) and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations, of the European Union, and of NATO. The capital and largest city is Ljubljana.
The Savinja is a river in northeast Slovenia which flows mostly in the Upper and Lower Savinja Valley and through the cities of Celje and Laško. The Savinja is the main river of the Savinja Alps. It flows into the Sava River at the town of Zidani Most. It has often flooded, such as in the 1960s, 1990, and 1995. The Savinja has a length of 101.75 kilometres (63.22 mi) and a catchment area of 1,847.7 km2 (713.4 sq mi).
The local church, from which the settlement gets its name, is dedicated to Saint Michael and belongs to the Parish of Laško. It is a pilgrimage church with a double belfry built between 1637 and 1641. Four of an original seven mid-17th century chapel-shrines representing the Stations of the Cross still survive along the road leading up the hill to the church. [3]
A church building or church house, often simply called a church, is a building used for Christian religious activities, particularly for Christian worship services. The term is often used by Christians to refer to the physical buildings where they worship, but it is sometimes used to refer to buildings of other religions. In traditional Christian architecture, the church is often arranged in the shape of a Christian cross. When viewed from plan view the longest part of a cross is represented by the aisle and the junction of the cross is located at the altar area.
Saint Michael the Archangel is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions, he is called "Saint Michael the Archangel" and "Saint Michael". In the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox religions, he is called "Saint Michael the Taxiarch".
A pilgrimage church is a church to which pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims.
