Jablanica: The Full Story
15th and 16th Centuries: A Fortress Above the Valley
The story of Jablanica begins not in the valley but high above it. In the second half of the fifteenth century, at a time when Inner Carniola lay exposed to Ottoman incursions, a fortified castle was erected on the wooded slope overlooking the Reka valley. Its purpose was defensive: to control movement through the landscape and to serve as a refuge in times of danger. For generations, this hilltop stronghold defined the seat of the Jablanica lordship.
As the sixteenth century progressed and the immediate military threat diminished, the castle’s strategic importance slowly waned. While it remained a symbol of authority, its exposed position and limited comfort no longer suited the changing needs of estate administration and noble life.
17th Century: The Birth of the Manor
A decisive transformation occurred in 1629, when the Jablanica estate was divided between two sisters of the Cvetković family. One half was sold to Emanuele De Fini, a member of a wealthy Venetian patrician family. De Fini had amassed considerable wealth through long years of trade on the island of Cyprus. Following the establishment of Ottoman dominance in the eastern Mediterranean, he returned to Venice, and soon after seized the opportunity to acquire land in Carniola. With his family, he settled in Jablanica.
Drawing on his experience and capital, De Fini acted swiftly. As the old castle remained in the hands of Countess Felicita Ursini Blagaj, he chose to establish a new center for his share of the lordship. In the valley by the road, he commissioned the construction of a new manor house. Completed in 1631, the building bore its date proudly carved into a window lintel—a rare and enduring witness to its origins.
This new manor became the seat of the united Jablanica–Gotnik lordship, marking a clear shift from medieval fortification to early modern estate management. The center of power had moved from the hilltop to the valley.
18th Century: Marriage and Transition
In 1708, the ownership structure of Jablanica changed once more through marriage. Franc Lazarini, the owner of the manor, married Marija Ana Raunach, who held the old castle and the remaining half of the Jablanica lordship. With this union, the estate was reunited, but the hierarchy of its buildings shifted: the manor became a pristava, an auxiliary residence subordinate to the castle.
Yet this arrangement proved temporary. The castle, already outdated, continued to decline, while the manor remained the practical heart of the estate.
19th Century: The End of Noble Ownership
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the old castle was finally abandoned. With its desertion, the manor once again assumed full administrative control of the Jablanica lordship. Although still owned by the Jablanica branch of the Lazarini family, the character of residence had changed. Around 1830, the family relocated to their palace in Labin in Istria, leaving Jablanica in the hands of stewards.
The manor continued to function, but its role was now managerial rather than residential—a sign of the gradual distancing of noble families from their rural estates.
In 1886, the long aristocratic chapter of Jablanica came to an end. The manor and estate were sold to Jožef Domladici of Ilirska Bistrica for 23,000 guldens. Only sixteen years later, in 1902, the property passed to the Viennese wholesale merchant Albert Dub, who began systematically selling off the land and buildings. The once coherent estate was broken into fragments, and with that, the economic foundation of the manor collapsed.
20th Century: Decline and Abandonment
By 1915, the neglected manor had become the property of the Bervar family of Ljubljana. In 1934, under Italian administration, it was acquired by ERA – Ente Rinascita Agraria, based in Venice. Ownership was divided: the eastern half passed to the Štefančič family, while after the Second World War the western half was nationalized.
The manor was adapted for practical use. Workers’ apartments were installed, and the ground floor and attic housed a poultry farm operated by the 4 July Agricultural Cooperative until the mid-1970s.
These utilitarian adaptations accelerated structural decay.
By 1967, the roof over the central section had collapsed, and the eastern wing was rapidly deteriorating.
When the building became unsafe for both inhabitants and livestock, it was abandoned. In 1973, authorities considered selling or demolishing it.
Meanwhile, the surrounding estate was dismantled: farm buildings were torn down, the formal garden erased, and new houses and roads built in their place. In 1982, the ruin passed into municipal administration.
21st Century: Research and 3D Reconstruction
Today, Dvorec Jablanica stands as a largely ruined in front an improvised football and basketball court for kids, exposed to the impact of balls which could potentially produce fragments to fell and be lost, but mainly it’s a threat the lives of those kids who would venture inside the manor to pick up a lost ball.
In 2015, Juan P. Maschio did a reconstruction for Project Feniks, recompiling written information, old pictures and recreated a precise 3d version of it, to awaken the local’s interest, but as always: lack of funds and low passion for the local culture, allows are the worse enemies for heritage buildings.
In 2026, the whole project and 3d model has been updated with the latest technology.