The population increased in the 16th and 17th centuries with settlers from areas further south affected by
Ottoman raids moving to the fertile countryside around
Gorizia. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Vrtojba became known for its early season vegetables and potatoes with regular supply to the markets of Gorizia and beyond. Although this fame still continues to some extent today,
industrialization of
Nova Gorica after the
Second World War meant workers also settled in the village and the urban expansion in recent decades has virtually turned Vrtojba into the southern
suburbs of Nova Gorica. ==References==