Breginj is the westernmost larger settlement along the Slovenian–Italian border (the smaller settlement Robidišče is the absolute westernmost). In May (6th and 11th) and September (15th), 1976, several earthquakes severely damaged Breginj. Only the Church of St. Nicholas with the parish house and two homesteads survived, now renovated and declared cultural monuments. After the earthquake, 79 prefabricated houses and a communal stable were built east of the old village core, and many new houses were added to the original settlement.

Architecturally, Breginj developed as a densely built settlement along the Bela stream. In 1666, a major fire destroyed 24 houses and the church, caused by the industrial hemp cultivated by locals. After the fire, all houses were rebuilt in stone and covered with shingles, giving the village a recognizable Venetian character. Houses were arranged in semicircles and connected by neighboring structures. Homesteads formed clusters, often linked to stables and haylofts, with distinctive overhangs and passageways. Two main agricultural activities prevailed: livestock farming and modest polycultural agriculture. Livestock was kept in barns directly connected to living quarters. Homemade cheese, along with polenta and potatoes, was a key nutritional and commercial product.

Oral tradition suggests that the original inhabitants were nomadic shepherds. Their dwellings were simple, covered with beech foliage, later replaced by straw-roofed houses. Historical records first mention Breginj in 1084. In the 15th century, it came under Venetian rule, then Austria in 1521, Italy in 1805, Austria again in 1813, and Italy once more in 1915, until the end of World War II, when it became part of Yugoslavia. Under each regime, prosperity was elusive—poverty remained constant.

Old village core – Breginj

EID: 1-00044
ESD: 44
Genre: Settlements and their parts
Type: Settlement heritage
Scope: Group of objects

Description: The ambience includes remnants of the former village center with 18th and 19th-century Breginj-style houses.
Location: Adjacent to the newly built part of the village.
Date: 18th–19th century

Settlement: Breginj
Municipality: Kobarid
OE ZVKDS: ZVKDS OE Nova Gorica

Before the earthquake, Breginj was classified as a first-category monument. The 1976 disaster nearly erased the old village. Only three houses remain as a memory of Slovenian architectural heritage. The Breginj Museum, a preserved complex of two-storey stone houses with wooden balconies (ganka), is the sole witness to the village’s former appearance.

This complex is a unique open-air museum and the only preserved testimony of the former village core, demolished after the 1976 earthquake. It reflects the living culture of its past inhabitants.

In a landscaped gallery and multifunctional space, a permanent exhibition of photographs by Jaka Čop—taken before the devastating earthquake—documents the former Breginj. Built in a clustered form, the old village was considered a gem of Venetian-Slovene architecture. It featured an oval layout with concentric streets and stone masonry houses adorned with wooden corridors (ganka), staircases, balconies (linda), and peasant murals. Homesteads formed interconnected groups with unique transitions. After the earthquake, Breginj was entirely rebuilt, preserving its soul in the museum complex.