Professional Documents
Culture Documents
OF ISTRIA
1 OPRTALJ
2 VIŽINADA
3 RAKOTULE
4 BAČVA SAVUDRIJA
5 SV. LOVREČ
6 KLOŠTAR
7 ŠORIĆI
UMAG 1
8 BALE
9 PEROJ
MOMJAN 17
10 BARBAN 1
11 SVETVINČENAT BUZET
12 KANFANAR BUJE 16 7
13 DVIGRAD
14 ŽMINJ 23 2 PIETRAPELOSA 8
OPRTALJ 2 UČKA NATURE PARK
15 LINDAR
GROŽNJAN ROČ
16 BERAM 3 6 1 12 ISTARSKE TOPLICE SPA
15 20
17 PAZIN 22 7 MRAMORNICA CAVE
18 DRAGUĆ KOTLI
19 HUM
20 ROČ
5 MIRNA 2
14 19
VIŽINADA MOTOVUN
5 HUM
NOVIGRAD 9 10
4 3
18
THE GLAGOLITIC ALLEY 11
Butoniga
4 DRAGUĆ
13
21 10 9 BERAM
12
6 BAREDINE CAVE 17
PARENZANA 19
POREČ PAZIN
10 PAZIN PIT 10 GRAČIŠĆE
20 8 2 5
16 15 11
6
18
PIĆAN KRŠAN
SV. LOVREČ
9
THE CASTLES OF ISTRIA THE CENTRE OF ISTRIA
8
3
1 MOMJAN DVIGRAD 13 14
VRSAR
2 SV. LOVREČ 7 8 KINGDOM OF FEŠTINI CAVE
9 ROMUALDO’S CAVE 12
3 DVIGRAD
4 LIM CHANNEL LABIN
4 BALE
5 SVETVINČENAT 7
6 MUTVORAN 5 11
SVETVINČENAT 12 7
7 LABIN 4
8 KOŽLJAK
6 16 15 10
9 KRŠAN ROVINJ
10 PAZIN 17
11 BOLJUN BALE
12 BELAJ 8
11 PALUD
13 DRAGUĆ 3
14 HUM 3
4
15 ROČ
16 PIETRAPELOSA 5 2
17 RAŠPOR
5
1
9 6 VODNJAN
VENETIAN HERITAGE
14 6
2
1 UMAG
2 BUJE
4
3 GROŽNJAN
4 VIŽINADA
1 BRIJUNI NATIONAL PARK
13
5 MOTOVUN 1
6 OPRTALJ
7 BUZET PULA
8 ROČ 3
9 HUM
10 LUPOGLAV
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARKS 2
11 GRAČIŠĆE
1 NEZAKCIJ
12 LABIN
2 VIŽULA MEDULIN
13 PULA
3 PULA
14 VODNJAN
4 BRIJUNI
15 SVETVINČENAT
16
5 BETIGA
BALE
17
6 MONKODONJA
ROVINJ
18 SV. LOVREČ
7 DVIGRAD 1
19
8 POREČ
SV. IVAN OD ŠTERNE
9 ČERVAR PORAT 3 CAPE KAMENJAK
20 POREČ
21
10 LORUN
ČERVAR
22 DAJLA
23 ŠEGET
STONE HUTS AND
DRYSTONE WALLS
1 VODNJAN
THE PATH OF DINOSAURS 2 FONTANA
3 SV. TOMA
1 RT KAMENJAK 4 SV. MARTIN
2 BRIJUNI 5 SV. FOŠKA
3 BALE 6 PEROJ
Publisher: Istria Tourist Board For the publisher: Denis Ivošević Concept and design: Studio Sonda, Poreč
Cover Photos: Fresco, Beram by Ivo Pervan, for the REVITAS Project; Amphitheatre, Pula by Goran Šebelić Text: Sedam i pol, Pula Edition: 12.500 Print: MGC studio, Poreč, XII/2011.
Istra Culture CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS
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Glagolitic letter S for logos (mind, reason) and replicas. The nearby National Park Brijuni with over two Cape Kamenjak is the most southern part of Romualdo’s Cave is one of the oldest habitats centre consists of a bell tower, a stone-paved square, a
pillar of shame, as well as a modern art gallery.
cemetery and many more structures are preserved. DRAGUĆ
hundred petrified footprints invites you to walk through Istria. Nature lovers will find this peninsula of early man in Istria. It is located alongside The town has a number of galleries and museums,
ends with the bronze doors at the entrance
the magical world of ancient creatures that disappea- irresistible. It has a 30-km-long indented coas- the Lim Canal on the steep slope of Mount St. a theatre, a cinema, and a well-known film festival. From Draguć we have a beautiful view of Lake
to Hum. The other nine signs include replicas
red from the face of the earth over 65 million years ago. tline, full of small coves, valleys and beaches Martin, 120 m above sea-level. The meandering Butoniga. This little hilltop town has Venetian fortifi-
of Glagolitic monuments, and the Table of the
surrounded by crystal clear sea. It is a well- cave is 150 m long and consists of 7 chambers, cations and lavish Baroque and Classicist houses li-
Brothers Cyril and Methodius, Byzantine missio-
known habitat of orchids (33 varieties) and has once used by Stone Age hunters. According to ning its main street. The 15th century parish church,
naries who created the alphabet for the Slavs in
archaeological parks over 500 plant species. On Fenoliga, a nearby legend, it became the home of St. Romualdo MEDULIN a well and a granary are in the town square. The ol-
the 9th century, thus laying a foundation for the
islet, there are dinosaur tracks. The Cape itself of Ravenna in the early 11th century. After his
BUJE der church in the graveyard has an unusual façade. BERAM
development of their standard language. In open-air archaeological parks the visitor will find offers a unique view from all its vantage points. departure, the faithful visited the site. Today, VRSAR Medulin is teeming with the spirit of antiquity.
Its interior walls are decorated with Romanesque
remains of ancient civilizations: the foundations of Buje is very proud of its late Baroque Church paintings. The little Church of St. Rocco (16th centu- Beram is known for its Gothic Church of St.
it houses a colony of bats. The entrance to the There is an archaeological forest park on the
their lodgings, walls and artefacts that could not of St. Servulus. It is magnificently decorated ry) at the foot of town was decorated with frescoes Mary na Škrilinah, located in the graveyard. It
cave is only 47 cm high. Giacomo Casanova, the great lover, visited Vrsar in Vižula Peninsula, where once a rich Roman villa-
be placed in a museum but remain at the original with statues, altars and paintings, and its or- by the master painter Antun of Padua.
the 18th century. The town celebrates this event has exceptional frescoes from 1474, the work of
PARENZANA gan is the work of a master craftsman. The
ge and necropolis existed. Today, the play Crispo
site, bearing witness to the ancient people of Istria, with a festival of love and erotica. The historical Vincent of Kastav. The largest composition, The
their customs and lives. We learn of the Bronze 4 LIM CHANNEL bell tower also serves as a vantage point. The centre consists of the Church of St. Martin and of a
is performed in the park. It was inspired by the
Adoration of the Three Kings, is 8 m long. The
story of the first-born son of Emperor Constantine
Parenzana holds a place of honour among Istria’s
Age tribes through their hill-fort villages in over 10 PAZIN PIT old square on top of the hill harbours a 15th restored castle. The Romanesque Basilica of Mary of
the Great, who allegedly was incarcerated and wall paintings on the west wall deal with the
pedestrian and cycling trails. It follows the same century patrician house. Not far off we find
three hundred locations in Istria, through their The Lim Channel is a flooded canyon in the the Sea, located on the edge of town, hosts summer cycle of life - Adam and Eve, and the unpredicta-
murdered in a country villa in Vižula. Stone blocks,
route as did the Parenzana railway that once jo- thick fortified walls, graves and gravestones. karst located between Vrsar and Rovinj. The The Pazin Pit is one of the most striking exam-
rows of Renaissance and Baroque buildings, guitar concerts. The islands of Vrsar, the blue of the
necessary for building the Pula Arena were hauled
ROČ bility of human destiny. The famous painting,
ined Trieste and Poreč, from 1902 till 1935. The remains of Venetian towers, and the three- sea and sky, and the old stone quarry have all inspi-
These little known hill-fort inhabitants were succee- elongated sea bay (12 km) is encircled by steep, ples of karst pits in Istria. The 500-m-long en- from the stone quarry in nearby Vižula. The Dance of the Dead, reminds us that we are
trail winds through green landscapes, alongside storey Ethnographic Museum. The Church of red the abstract expressionist painter Edo Murtić. From the 13th century on, Roč was the centre of
ded by the Histri - an Iron Age people. Lavish rustic forested hills, in some places over 200 m high, trance that dominates the landscape of the old all equal in the face of death.
old viaducts and tunnels, where once a small, the Blessed Virgin Mary has its own bell tower Outside the town we find the well-known park of Glagolitic literature, written in the old Slavic alphabet.
villas and outbuildings along the west coast tell the giving the impression of a Nordic fjord. Lim is town of Pazin inspired world famous writers
slow locomotive chugged. The train stations and and lavish interior. sculptures by Dušan Džamonja. Many Glagolitic books and documents originated in
story of Roman culture that blossomed in Istria after a part of the 35-km-long Limska Draga, a valley (Jules Verne, Dante, Yriarte). At a depth of 100 Roč. The towers and fortifications date from the 15th
little houses bring to mind old times.
the Roman conquest of the Histri people. Among the that stretches almost to Pazin, in the centre of m, the River Pazinčica sinks into subterrane- century, the town loggia from the 18th. The medieval
But where did the railway tracks go to?
better known parks is Nesactium by Pula, where in Istria. The old fashioned piers in the Bay lead an passages. It is Istria’s largest underground Church of St. Bartholomew has been renovated many
The Italian authorities dismantled them and the 2nd century BC the pivotal battle between the to beautiful vantage points and ancient caves. stream that flows towards the Raša River times. The Romanesque Church of St. Rocco (12th
Mussels and oysters are cultivated here. valley. Over the pit we find a bridge with a century) has many valuable frescoes. The town gates,
loaded them unto a ship. Legend has it that the Romans and the Histri people took place. Today, it
MOMJAN GRAČIŠĆE
ship sank on the way to Africa, so parts of Istrian is a treasure chest of findings from different epochs. vantage point. The Pazin Castle, Istria’s largest LABIN a collection of Roman stone tablets and a Venetian Turistička zajednica Istarske županije
cannon are only a few parts of the town’s rich heritage.
history lie hidden in the sea. Bringing together medieval fortress, also affords a great view. Istria Tourist Board
three countries, Parenzana is a symbolic road of The centre of Momjan consists of fine bourgeois ROVINJ Labin is the birthplace of the Reformation phi- Gračišće is one of the centres of green Istria. In Tourismusverband Istrien
friendship, a great venture in revitalising histori- stone huts and 5 MIRNA houses built between the 17th and the 19th losopher Matija Vlačić Ilirik, Martin Luther’s the 16th century it was larger and stronger than
Ente per il Turismo dell’ Istria
cal heritage and an ode to healthy living and the Drystone Walls 11 PALUD century, while the Church of St. Martin, with Rovinj is a magical town with traditional fis- closest associate. Today’s picturesque town Pazin, but was badly damaged during the wars
preservation of scenic beauty. its five altars is a reconstructed Gothic church. hing boats called batana and distinctive type centre dates from the 16th - 18th century. It and peasant uprisings. The medieval walls, the
An Istrian kažun (stone hut) is made of local stone
The Mirna River has its source in the mounta-
We also find several single nave churches from of folk singing called bitinada. The Baroque has many Renaissance and Baroque patrician
HUM town gates, the round tower (1500), the town
ins of Ćićarija. It is the longest river (53 km) in Palud is Istria’s ornithological jewel, situated
without the use of any binding material. An average- the 18th and 19th century hidden within the Church of St. Euphemia, with a statue of the buildings. The town gates from 1646, the for- loggia (1549), the magnificent Salomon Palace
Istria, flowing slowly towards its picturesque only 8 km south of Rovinj. Close to the sea, Hum is reputed to be the smallest town in the world
sized kažun requires up to 30 cubic metres of stone, town. The ruined castle on the cliff existed as
THE CASTLES OF ISTRIA weighing about 70 tons. The ground plan, on which
delta near Novigrad. Navigable in Venetian ti- a natural depression and marshy habitat was
saint on the bell tower, has been celebrated tifications, the loggia and the chapels stand with just 20 inhabitants. Its structure is essentially urban, with Renaissance and Gothic elements are all
a small fortress as early as the 13th century. It in many a song. We can see strong Venetian out. The basement of the museum is dedica- preserved. Several old churches as well as resi-
mes, its water level is steady and it has many formed (210 hectares). It is the temporary with fortifications, town gates and numerous Glagolitic
the stone walls of a kažun are erected, is a circle. was damaged during a Venetian attack, but was
Istrian medieval architecture is marked by tributaries. Some lead into the protected influence in many other churches, Renaissance ted to miners. During the great strike in 1921, inscriptions. The old 16th century custom, where inha- dential, trades and crafts houses are also parts
The roof is constructed in the ‘false dome’ method or permanent home to 219 bird species. A
restored. In the 16th century it became a castle and Baroque houses, in the town gates and the miners declared a one month long self-go- of the heritage of Gračišće.
castles: stone fortresses in which feudal lords Motovun Forest (275 hectares), the habitat of canal dating from the Austro-Hungarian pe- bitants choose a prefect among themselves for a period
and covered in stone slates. At the top of each ka- with a tower, living quarters and a chapel.
resided and controlled their lands. Castles were oak trees and truffles, the expensive subterra- fortifications. An open-air summer exhibition vernment: the Republic of Labin. of one year was reintroduced in 1977. The parish church
žun is a cone-like stone decoration. A kažun was riod connects the swamp with the sea. The
nean mushroom praised as an aphrodisiac. is held in Grisia Street. with its Classicist façade was built in 1802 on the site of info@istra.com | www.istra.com
situated at strategic positions; were made of often built next to existing drystone walls to save brackish water is rich in mullets, turtles and
stone and usually had a main tower, fortifying The white Istrian truffle is very valued. an older church. The Church of St. Jerome, in the gra-
on building material. Similar structures but called eels. Swamp plants, oak trees and luxurious
walls, living quarters, out-houses and an open veyard, is decorated with 12th century frescoes.
by different names can also be found in Dalmatia, willows flourish in the humid micro climate.
courtyard. Castles were attacked, burnt down as well as in other Mediterranean countries. Most
and then rebuilt. Many legends of kidnapping, were built in the 19th century by farmers and
deception and rewards are tied to them. shepherds as protection from bad weather and as DVIGRAD SVETVINČENAT
The first written document concerning Istrian
a place to keep farm tools and small farm animals. 6 BAREDINE CAVE 12 ISTARSKE TOPLICE SPA GROŽNJAN PIĆAN KOTLI
castles is from 983. The one written in 1102 is People who lived in these areas some hundred or more Svetvinčenat is best known for its enormous castle
The Baredine Pit near Nova Vas, not far from Istria’s Thermal Springs originated on the site Grožnjan is a centre of culture, situated high on a In Dvigrad we find the impressive remains of a town that From antiquity up to the 18th century, Pićan was Due to its isolation, the village of Kotli has kept its
very important because it granted most of them years ago cultivated land daily. Very often they had to that already existed in the 13th century as a for-
Poreč, sinks deep into the limestone karst (132 of the St. Stephen source of sulphurous waters hilltop. It is a town of artists, positive vibrations, spread over two hilltops and had a population of 2000 the seat of the diocese. During the Byzantine rural 19th century look. It also managed to preserve
take it away from the stone, which they afterwards tress. In 1485 it was renovated in the Renaissance
to the Patriarch of Aquileia. The most intensive m). The subterranean trail (300 m) leads thro- located in the untouched nature of the Mirna numerous galleries and studios. In the mid-14th inhabitants. Due to plague and war only three families Empire it was the seat of government for a signi- its mills that were in use till 1964. The stone hou-
collected and used for enclosing their plots. On the style. The main square is encircled by a single nave
castle building took place in the late Middle Ages, ugh 5 chambers with stalagmites and stalac- Valley. The medicinal quality of the water was century it fell under Venetian rule. Venice fortified lived there in the 17th century. In 1714, when the parish ficant part of central Istria. The Bishop’s Palace, ses have many wooden elements, a material much
solid rock base larger stones were laid down and then church, a loggia, and other buildings. A well is loca-
when Istria was controlled by Venice and the tites. In one chamber we find a 66 m deep pit, already known in times of antiquity. The warm the town walls and made Grožnjan a defence cen- moved to Kanfanar, the town finally died out. It is the a part of the medieval walls, and the 14th century used in the old architecture of northern Istria. When ted in the centre of the square. The Church of St.
smaller ones were arranged towards the top. This expla-
Hapsburgs. Their decline began in the 16th cen- dropping to the underground lakes where the source water, with its consistent composition tre. A part of the fortifications has survived to this largest complex of medieval remains in Istria. It consists town gate are preserved. As a centre of non-ma- compared to the surrounding area, these houses are Vincent at the cemetery, first mentioned in 1178,
ins the origin of kilometres of drystone walls which are a
tury with the advent of the cannon. Castles were Proteus lives. The pit has several natural works and natural radioactivity consists of 13 kinds of day, as have the town gates from the late 15th cen- of double fortifications, three gates, old streets, a 14th terial heritage it hosts the festival of Istrian legen- more complex and lavish. Thanks to the development is rich in frescoes. In summer, the town hosts an
unique sight today. There are coarse ones with uneven ds, myths and stories. The Romanesque church
then abandoned. Some were later restored in the of art that resemble a statue of the Virgin Mary, minerals. A steep cliff (85 m) with the remains tury, the Renaissance loggia and the Chapel of St. century tower and the remains of over two hundred bu- of trades and crafts, life in Kotli was good. Its inhabi- international festival of dance and non-verbal thea-
sides, as well as those built of smaller stones, whose by the graveyard is decorated with frescoes. The
new Renaissance style, and to this day kindle the the shepherdess Milka, the Leaning Tower of of the Church of St. Stephen emerges above Cosmo and Damian from 1554. The somewhat yo- ildings. The town centre had a square, a bell tower and tants were known to be excellent players of the tradi- tre. Very old books and the Town Statute from 1520
smoothness will surely remind you of a sculpture. Church of St. Rocco is from the 17th century.
imagination of many curious visitors. Pisa, a snowman, and magnificent drapes. the thermal springs. unger parish church has a lavish Baroque interior. the Church of St. Sofia which was located on the hilltop. tional musical instruments bajs, vijulina and klarinet. are on display in the parish church.