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Stemmi di comuni e province d'Italia
Italian Civic Heraldry
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SCHIAVONIA - BENEŠKA SLOVENIJA
Province : Friuli
Origin/meaning:
The north-eastern part of the province Friuli (Italy), i.e., the hiterland of the city of Cividale, is a mountainous region in bordering the Friulian plain which extends toward the Adriatic Sea. The inhabitants of the region from time are speaking Slovenian. The Slovenian speaking region historically is named Schiavonia, and later Slavia Veneta (Beneška Slovenija, in Slovenian). A region which in the history was separated from other Slovenian provinces, first under the Patriarchate of Aquileia (Friuli) and since 1420 AD, together with Friuli, under the Republic of Venice. When after 1500 AD the nearby County of Görz passed under the dominion of the Habsburgs and their empire (Austria), Schiavonia got a very strategical position. As to assure the loyalty of its inhabitants, Republic of Venice granted it a wide autonomy.
The autonomy was based on the ancient Slovenian law (jus gentium), in sense of which the inhabitants of the villages elected on the assembly (sosednja) their mayor (zupan) and his assessors (prisedniki). The representants of villages elected then a great mayor (veliki zupan), who was the head of the region, as well as his board (banka) composed by 12 assessors. The mayors possessed the authority of administration and of justice.
The coat of arms of Schiavonia was until shortly not known. But it existed, and is to be found in the manuscript of Vincenzo Jacopi (1672 - 1726), kept in the library of Udine.
The upper half represents the mountains fo Schiavonia with the rising sun, which are watched from the plains of Friuli and Veneto, which are shon in the lower half.
Literature : Image and background provided by Jozko Savli, Italy.
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coats of arms on-line ! 
