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Centralnorth Bulgaria > Sevlievo > History
History of Sevlievo
The settlement emerged in the 15th century as a village producing timber boards but it is likely that it had existed before that, too (10th-12th centuries).
It was mentioned under the name of Selvi for the first time in 1618 where its present name comes from (it is related to the surrounding vegetation). It was completely devastated and put to fire by the kurdzhalii (Turkish brigands) in 1798. The settlement recovered comparatively quickly as an administrative centre with a well-developed craftsmanship - woodworking, leather processing and tailoring, weaving. There was a well-known cattle market here, too but it was the silkworm breeding and the silk-trade which brought the greatest glory to the town and made it famous. There was a great demand for silkworm seed and silk from Sevlievo in Austria, France, Romania. The population of the town was affected by the great plague in 1838.
The town did not neglect its cultural development, either. A community centre was founded there (1870) by Dr. Stoicho Zografski, schools, churches, a clock tower (1777), beautiful houses and bridges were built as well. Petko R. Slaveikov and Martin Sofroniev were teachers here. Hadzhi Angel Ivanov translated the text of church hymns into the language of Slavs and Bulgarians and the Priest Pencho Nestorov translated the Gospel into the Bulgarian language. After the Liberation the town at first declined as a craftsmanship centre but quickly developed after that.
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