Idrija, a town in western Slovenia, is well known for its abandoned mercury mine, lace-making tradition and delicious žlikrofi dumplings, but there is another, little-known fact about the picturesque town: in the early 1930s, it was home to the young Pier Paolo Pasolini, the prolific Italian poet, writer and filmmaker.

Pasolini (1922-1975) was a son of a lieutenant in the Royal Italian Army and the family moved around a lot due to his father's postings, especially in the area of Italy's eastern-most region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, which extended into what is now Slovenian territory between the World Wars.

In October 1930, the family moved to Idrija where Pasolini attended fourth grade, witnessing first-hand the Fascist oppression of the Slovenian language. Pasolini started writing poetry when he was seven, about a year before the move to Idrija.

To honour its former resident, Idrija hosted the first Pasolini Days earlier this month, initiated by local publisher Damijan Bogataj.

Among other things, Bogataj presented the Slovenian translation of Il calcio secondo Pasolini, a book by Italian journalist Valerio Curcio about Pasolini's passion for football. Moreover, a round table discussed how to incorporate Pasolini's story in the promotion of Idrija's cultural heritage.

For nearly a year now, the town has been part of the EU-funded Interreg project 4P - Cross-border Trails Discovering the Heritage of Pasolini and the Places that Marked Him. The €1 million project will run until October 2026.

In Slovenia, the main part of the project will be the opening of a circular theme path visiting places frequented by Pasolini while in Idrija, including the house he lived in and a summer bathing spot on the Idrijca River.

Moreover, Pasolini's poems referring to Idrija that have not yet been published in Slovenian will be translated and published as part of the 4P project, according to Milanka Trušnovec of the Idrija city library.

Additionally, Idrija and Nova Gorica will host students and young researchers taking part in the Pasolini summer school, organised by the Pier Paolo Pasolini Study Centre in Casarsa della Delizia, Italy, for a day or two this November.

The main partner of the 4P project is Pordenone, Italy, not far from Casarsa, the birth place of Pasolini's mother, where the poet spent parts of his youth, including when avoiding German military draft following Italy's capitulation in 1943.