Novo Mesto

• Location: Slovenia
• Variant names: Gradac, Rudolfswert, Neustadt

'New Place' from novo and mesto 'place', although the site was first occupied c.1000 bc. It was refounded in the 13th century as the trading centre of Gradac and renamed Rudolfswert in 1365 after the Habsburg Rudolf IV (1339–65), Archduke of Austria (1363–5), with wert 'worthy', thus deserving of the honour. From the 15th century it was known as Neustadt, German for 'New Town'.

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