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Škofja Loka (German: Bischoflack) is situated at an elevation of 400 m at the confluence of the Poljane Sora and the Selca Sora rivers, at the transition of the Sora Plain into the Škofja Loka Hills and the Polhov Gradec Hills. It is the economic, cultural, educational, and administrative center of the municipality of Škofja Loka in Upper Carniola. As of 2023, Škofja Loka proper has a population of about 11,800. The municipality of Škofja Loka has a population of about 23,800.
Lonca (Stara Loka, today part of the municipality) was first mentioned in a written document in AD 973. The name Škofja Loka literally
means 'bishop's (wet) meadow', referring to the bishops of Freising who were granted the ownership of the area in that year and for the next 1000 years
the history of the town was tied to that (geographically rather distant) ecclesiastical principality. A castle and tower were built above the town for
defence purposes and later became the residence of the bishop's governor. In the 11th or 12th century, the bishops were granted the right to mint coinage
and collect tolls. Škofja Loka was first mentioned as having market rights in 1248, and having town rights in 1274. The town was fortified by town
walls in the 14th century. After having been severely damaged repeatedly during the 15th century, the town was largely destroyed in the 1511 Idrija
earthquake but was soon rebuilt by the bishops. Much of the town was damaged by fires in 1660 and 1698. The defensive walls gradually became obsolete and
were mostly removed together with the town gates in 1789. In 1803 the prince-bishopric of Freising was mediatised during the German Mediatisation and the
enclave of Škofja Loka was annexed to the Austrian duchy of Carniola. Škofja Loka was occupied by Italian forces on 13 April 1941. The
Italian authorities were replaced by German authorities on 17 April. The Partisans entered the town on 9 May 1945. Škofja Loka is the
site of seven known mass graves from the period immediately after World War II. Two additional mass graves connected with these are located in
Vincarje (part of the larger municipality). The town assumed ownership of Loka castle in 1959. Škofja Loka has one of the best-preserved medieval
urban centres in Slovenia and the town was proclaimed a cultural monument in 1987.
The 
parish church of St. Jacob [centre] was built in the 15th century in place of an older church
that had first been mentioned already in 1271. The new nave was completed in 1471. It is not known whether the new church used the presbytery of the old
church or functioned without one. The current presbytery and the chapel on its southern side were added to the church in 1525. A bell tower was built in
1532. The church underwent major changes in the Baroque period when a new choir was built. Further additions to the edifice were made in the 19th century.
[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0kofja_Loka, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0kofja_Lok;
https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerkev_sv._Jakoba,_%C5%A0kofja_Loka]
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