Socerb Castle (Slovenia)

Socerb Castle, also Strmec Castle, is a castle near the Socerb settlement on the edge of the karst.

Due to its extraordinary strategic position, the castle was extremely important in the past. It was already talked about in the Middle Ages. In the 14th century the castle was owned by the Venetian Ducaini family (see source). The castle was damaged several times due to various wars. The owners of the castle were constantly changing. After the Trieste-Veneto war, at the beginning of the 16th century, the castle passed under Austrian ownership. To the Carniolan nobleman Nicholas II. Ravbar was given to the fief by the emperor in 1521. Then, in 1535, at the Council of Trent, it was decided that the castle should be returned to Venice, but it did not remain in their hands for long. Venice's last attempt to return to Socerb cost her the loss of 3,000 infantry soldiers in the epic battle of 1615. The defense of the castle was led by Baron Benvenuto Petazzi, who had a private Uskok army who bought the castle in 1622 and in 1630 he received the title of Count of Socerb. In 1678 Valvasor visited the castle and drew and described it.

Socerb Castle in Valvasor's Topographia Ducatus Carnioliae modernee from 1679

Socerb Castle overlooking the Gulf of Trieste and Topographia Ducatus Carnioliae modernee from Capodistria Valvasor from 1679
It was purchased by Petač in 1702 from the Socerb Chamber of the Archduke and subsequently, in 1766, sold to the Montecuccoli family of Modena. The castle was burned down in 1780 by lightning. During the war of national liberation the castle was at the center of battles due to its strategic position. Thus, in 1944, it was the seat of the VOS and the People's Court.

The present-day image of the castle is very modest, as Demetrius de Economo from Trieste had only part of the walls restored in 1924/25. At 150 meters there is the entrance to the Holy Grotto, 44 ​​m deep and 200 m long. Legend has it that the young saint Socerb (San Servolo) lived there as a hermit for two years after converting to the Christian faith. Because of his faith, in 283 o. 284 executed by the Governor of Trieste. The cave was transformed into a sanctuary, where a holy mass was celebrated every year on May 24 until the Second World War.

[Source: Wikipedia]