Koprivshtitsa is one of the characteristic Bulgarian towns, still preserving the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is located in the heart of the Sredna Gora mountain range. In 1952, it was declared the only city-museum in the country, and since 1971 it has been an architectural and historical reserve, with a total of 388 architectural, historical, artistic, and ethnographic monuments.
There are many legends concerning the town’s beginnings. All of them agree that Koprivshtitsa was founded at the end of the 14th century. One legend claims that the village was settled by Bulgarian fugitives who removed to the region after Bulgaria came under Ottoman rule. Thanks, rich merchants who bought the town, the Turks had not destroyed, and architectural monuments are preserved to this day.
Among the museums and local attractions are The Oslekov House, The Lyutova House, The Todor Kableshkov Museum, The Dimcho Debelyanov Museum, The Georgi Benkovski Museum, and The Liuben Karavelov Museum. Litmus and meadow houses were the property of wealthy merchants. These homes have a rich interior decoration, beautiful and elegant decoration.
The Oslekov House was built in 1856 by the wealthy Koprivshtitsa merchant Nencho Oslakov. Of particular interest are the richly decorated walls and columns that suggest the lifestyle enjoyed by a wealthy Koprivshtitsa family during the 19th century.
An interesting example of ecclesiastical architecture is The Saint Nikolay Cathedral, built in 1842-1843. Also very attractive are the town’s many bridges, mainly vaulted stone, erected over small brooks and streams that flow into the Topolnitsa River. The most popular is the Kalachev Bridge, also known as The First Shot Bridge.
Besides visiting its historic houses and enjoying the invigorating natural surroundings, visitors may refresh themselves at Koprivshtitsa’s more than 40 wells that were constructed during different eras.
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I. C.
artline.ro editor
