In the 2nd century AD a famous Greek physicist, astronomer and geographer by the name Claudius Ptolemy wrote about a certain Celtic tribe, for which historians today agree that lived in the Soča valley.
They went by the name Ambisonti.
The translation of this name is more than obvious to those that understand Latin; it describes people that live on the banks of the river Isontious, which was the Latin name for Soča.
It is maybe appropriate on this spot to make known the fact that in our language Soča reads like ‘Socha’, not ‘Soca’. When Slovenians say that the weather is sunny, we say ‘ sončno’ and that funny letter c with something like a bird flying above it, is our sign for the sound ‘ch’.
So now, when this is out of the way, let us return to the banks of Soča river in the ancient past, two or three thousand years ago.
It was then even more than today a river so blue and pure when it was shimmering and glistening in the Sun that it provoked this sunny name. Sončna Soča.
This is the most probable cause for the Slovenian naming of Soča and this is probably the case in Italian language as well (Isonzo).
People that lived here gave it this beautiful name and in return, it named the people.
Ambisonti were part of a famous Noric kingdom (Regnum Noricum). Like all the Noric tribes in this kingdom, they were skillful in obtaining iron ore, as well as in the craft of making different iron items of high quality, probably one of the most desirable products of the time.
One of Ambisonti centers was positioned exactly were Most na Soči is nowadays. This was one of the most flourishing communities in the Soča valley. In fact, Most na Soči, or more precisely, the local patron Saint Lucia gave the name to one of the six regional groups from old iron age period on Slovenian ground, which is now called the St. Lucia group.
St. Lucia is patron of eyes and sight. Besides that, her name literally means light, which again relates to the overwhelming beauty of the land that one MUST SEE and it is another among many mind- gripping coincidental connections when it comes to this astonishing place.
Ambisontia was never a political or geographical unit, even though it got the name after the river that binds the land together like a blue-green thread.
Ambisontia is an echo of the past, future and parallel worlds; it is a land behind a magical mist, like Arthur’s Camelot.
Ambisontia is a land of memories, songs and stories, a land, where it is swarming with magical creatures.
We want to take you there and show you that childlike wonder and fairy-tale space and time are within your grasp.