The Coat of Arms of Nova Gorica – the Red Rose
How did the rose become the symbol of the city and municipality of Nova Gorica? What does the rose represent, and why is it so important for the new town and its inhabitants?
Nova Gorica is often referred to as the “city of roses,” as a red rose appears in its municipal coat of arms. The coat of arms was created for the city’s twentieth anniversary in 1968. In the presentation of its design, the rose symbolised youth, beauty, and freshness of the youngest Slovenian city. In popular imagination, it was also said to embody the essence of the Gorizia region, known as a land of sunshine and cheerful, hardworking people (Kolenc 2016: 19).
The author of the coat of arms was Roni Nemec, who drew inspiration from the tradition of nearby Rožna Dolina. A manor once stood there, built by the noble Boronio family. In 1740, Emperor Leopold I granted them the noble title von Rosenthal, which also gave the area its name, Rožna Dolina (Valley of Roses). Before the Second World War, the horticultural family Voigtländer is said to have owned property there, later relocating their activity to the Italian town of Mossa (ibid.). Roses have always adorned local gardens, as they are relatively easy to cultivate and are considered the queens of flowers. Thanks to their fragrance, colour, and form, they symbolise beauty and love, while the red rose conveys respect and courage.
The tradition of roses was further developed by Žarko Bole, director of the Nova Gorica municipal services, who in the 1960s, together with Miha Ogorevc (1925–2022; agronomist, horticulturist, director of the Volčji Potok Arboretum), landscaped the city with various trees, shrubs, and rose beds. Roses were imported from Germany and elsewhere, and they also co-developed a kind of “Gorizian rose.” In the 1960s, around 1,000 roses were planted annually in the city. In 2002, the Nova Gorica Tourist Association planted 50 roses for the city’s 50th anniversary and later arranged plantings at roundabouts. By 2016, the city had around 12,000 roses covering 1,900 m² (Kolenc 2016: 19).
Nova Gorica is also home to the “Slovenian Rose Society,” which in 2003, in cooperation with the Municipality of Nova Gorica, began developing part of a former monastery vegetable garden on Kapela into a rose collection. That same year, a collection of old Bourbon roses was planted. These roses are named after the island of Île de Bourbon (today Réunion), which at the time of their origin belonged to the French Bourbon dynasty. In 1817, a spontaneous crossbreeding occurred there between the Chinese rose Old Blush and the European damask rose Quatre Saisons.
The Bourbon roses bloom at the end of May and continue flowering throughout the season, decorating the garden with shades of pink and a rich fragrance. In May, the city is further enriched by the Festival of Roses, whose main and most visited events take place among these monastery roses. In 1995, the first “Rose Festival” was organised by the Nova Gorica Tourist Association. With various programmes—from the selection of a “Miss Rose” to exhibitions and culinary competitions—it entertained residents from 1995 to 2005 and again from 2010 to 2014.
“The rose – I like it, a flower is a beautiful thing. Why not? And then it became a red rose. And we were all satisfied. They (the politicians) were, and so was I. A red flower is passion, love. That is all fine, but I do miss more plantings.”
(interview with a respondent, born 1961, October 2022).
You are invited to watch an episode from the documentary series Goriški sprehodi, dedicated to the diversity of tree species in the city, via the YouTube link below.
Avtor: Jasna Fakin Bajec
Kraj: Nova Gorica