Vinje pri Moravčah


Vinje pri Moravčah is a small settlement in the Municipality of Moravče in central Slovenia. Traditionally the area was part of Upper Carniola. It is now included with the rest of the municipality in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region. The settlement includes the hamlet of Rožek.

Name

The Slovene name of the settlement was originally Svinje. The name was first attested in written sources in 1260 as Sweinz. The name Svinje is believed to derive from the Slovene common noun svinja 'pig', referring to the fact that pigs were raised in the settlement. An alternate theory suggests that the name was derived from So-vine 'group of vineyards'. The name was changed from Svinje to Vinje pri Moravčah as an ameliorative semantic change in 1955. See also Sinja Gorica, Svino, and Zavino for similar names.

Rožek Castle

The ruins of Rožek Castle, first mentioned in written documents in 1247, can still be seen near the settlement. It was damaged in the peasant revolt of 1515. The castle owners, the Gall family, became fervent Protestants and a number of prominent Protestant figures were buried in the castle chapel. When the castle started to deteriorate in the 17th century, the castle dwellers relocated to other castles in Moravče and Češnjice pri Moravčah.