Valentin Stanič, 1774 Bodrež above Kanal  – 1847 Gorica

»V osebnosti Valentina Staniča so bile harmonično združene dejavnosti pesnika, pisatelja, in prevajalca, učitelja in vzgojitelja, prosvetnega in socijalnega delavca, duhovnika, zdravnika, tiskarnarja in razširjevalca slovenske knjige, umnega kmetovalca in rokodelca, prosvetljenca, fizika in zemljepisca, veleturista in planinskega pisatelja, človekoljuba, ljubitelja živali in cvetja«.  Evgen Lovšin.

After the secondary school, Stanič studied theology and philosophy in Salzburg. At the same time, he began practicing Alpine climbing and achieved successes climbing into Salzburg’s mountains. In 1798, he entered in a friary and was ordained as priest in 1802. As he was very excited by his love for mountains, he was the forth inhabitant of the world who climbed into the highest Slovenian mountain Triglav, as well as the first one who measured its sea level. ln 1908, he founded a school in Ročinj. He laid great emphasis on gym, swimming, mountaineering and on all the exercises that strengthen the body. Thanks to his knowledge, he helped people very much, and gave many advises to the sick ones. His greatest merit in the field of medicine is the introduction of vaccinations against smallpox. Stanič was a great, spiritual enlightened person. He laid great stress on school books and thus he also wrote and published his own books.

On his initiative, institute for deaf and dumb and a society against animal torturing were founded in Gorica. He also opened the first bookshop, in which religious and educational books were sold.

He also had great merits in the introduction of progressing agriculture. He taught farmers how to do various rural works.

In 1818, the archbishop of Gorica Jože Balant called him in Gorica in order to nominate him dean. Today he is remembered as an outstanding man, who worked as a priest, climber, doctor, poet, social worker and farmer.

In remembrance of him, a traditional march “On Valentin Stanič steps ” (“Po stopinjah Valentina Staniča”) from Solkan to Kanal is organized every year.

Uredila: Jože Medvešček in Marko Valentinčič

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