Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria

Koprivshtitsa, which is as difficult to pronounce as it seems, is a quaint town nestled in a valley of the southern foothills of the Stara Planina Mountains. It is an easy 2-hour drive from Sofia along the E871. Like many towns and cities in central Bulgaria, Koprivshtitsa was prosperous in the 19th century due to a heavy reliance by the Ottomans upon agricultural and manufactured goods. In particular, the town gained significant wealth through the rearing of livestock and related activities, such as tanning, as well as through the trade of timber. Koprivshtitsa was the town where the April uprising began and is celebrated as one of the most patriotic cities in Bulgaria. In addition to famous residents, such as Lyuben Karavelov, Georgi Benkovski, and Dimcho Debelyanov, Vasil Levski conducted revolutionary business here.

The town consists of a lower part, in the valley of the small Topolnitsa river, and a large section on the western hill. The valley represents the ‘bustling’ town center consisting of a few historic houses, many modern houses for the 2500 local residents, and several good restaurants that serve traditional Bulgarian cuisine. If you fall in love with Koprivshtitsa, there are a number of small hotels. The upper section of the town consists, again, of many modern houses as well as some well-preserved Revival period houses. Tickets to enter six of the Revival period houses can be purchased in the main square. The Karevelov and Benkovski houses are in the valley, the Debelyanov, Oslekov, Kableshkov, and Lyutov houses are on the hill. Revival period architecture in Bulgaria refers to structures built in the 19^th century intended to rebel against Ottoman domination. In reality, many of the features are Turkish, but with neo-classical and central European overtones.

My favorites are the Dobelyanov and Oslekov houses. Dimcho Debelyanov (1887-1916) was a symbolist poet whose themes touched upon life and death, love and loss. You enter the gardens by means of a gate. A cobblestone walkway leads to the house that was was constructed by his father, a wealthy merchant. A secondary trail leads to a cottage, not accessible to the public. The two-floor wooden house is painted a cobalt blue at the ground floor; the dark timber has been left exposed on the upper story. Today, house has been transformed into a modest museum filled with furniture, photographs, mementos, and books related to Debelyanov and his family. And, of course, there are examples of his poetry and letters. A replica of a statue of his mother sits in the garden. Nincho Oslekov, was a merchant and tax collector, whose house, constructed in 1856, has the most elaborate and elegant façade. Again, visitors walk from the road through a gate and into a courtyard paved with cobblestones. The two-floor house with a semi-interred basement is entered by means of a double stairway leading to the front door. The entryway is covered by an Italian-style loggia, above which are three grand windows. The loggia consists of four wooden columns that support three arches. The façade of the smaller, western wing of the house mimics this with four columns separating three windows framed atop by arches. All of the arched elements are painted in neo-Renaissance style with heraldric emblems above the west-side windows and representations of Rome, Venice, and Padua over the entrance. The interior is just as sophisticated with walls painted in a neo-Pompeian manner and beautiful Ottoman furnishings.

Also in this section of Koprivshtitsa, near the centrally-planned Kableshkov house is the early 19^th century church dedicated to St. Bogoroditsa. The interior is dark, but quite beautiful with ornately carved wood furnishings, including the pulpit and the iconostasis. The adjacent cemetery is worth a visit, especially for the grave of the young Dencho Debelyanov, which consists of a statue of his mother in mourning, waiting for him to return from the Balkan Wars.

The best strategy to visiting the town is to wander through the streets and houses of the section on the hill, then return to the valley. If you did not see it when you arrived, take the time to view the monument to the April Uprising. Termed the Apriltsi Mausoleum, architecturally the monument resembles an Orthodox chapel resting upon a pyramid. In fact, the upper portion of the monument is a modest chapel; the lower part is an ossuary with symbolic remains of unknown patriots. By now, several hours have past, so it is time for lunch at any of the local restaurants. In order to digest, climb the east hill to a communist period monument of Georgi Benkovski, a follower of Vasil Levski who continued the revolution and perished during the April Uprising. The monument is a heroic equestrian statue. The horse leaps into the air with Benovski on its back with his body turned sideways in order to eternally watch over his native town. 
(composed 2013 for blog of American Research Center in Sofia)

Photos Eric De Sena, 2012-14