Page 16 - Dark Shades of Istria
P. 16
Introduction
(1977)⁷ or Yriarte (1883), local travellers like Agapito (1823, 1826) were also
active in researching the Upper Adriatic, including Istria, and their works
could then be used for travel purposes.⁸
Istria, which was the leading tourist region as early as in the period
of post-w w i i Yugoslavia (Blažević, 1984, p. 5),⁹ has thus kept its status
and still has tourism products highly recognisable on the international
level, e.g. sports events (at p tennis tournament in Umag, beach volley
in Poreč, Red Bull air races in Rovinj), cultural events (Film Festival in
Pula or in Motovun, artists in Grožnjan, many concerts by different pop-
ular artists from Croatia or abroad at the Arena Amphitheatre or the
Cave Romane quarry), Tito’s and other heritage on the Brijuni Islands,
the seasonal open air Ulysses Theatre on the Brijuni Islands (the founder
of which is the famous actor Rade Šerbedžija), traditional gastronomy,
the batana – a protected traditional boat, small rectangular stone houses
called kažun, many secular and sacral buildings from the Venetian, Aus-
trian and Italian periods, including the une sc o-protected Euphrasiana
in Poreč, the traditional salt-fields in Sečovlje, the former Parenzana rail-
road track, and many museums in Koper, Piran, Umag, Novigrad, Pazin
and Pula, where the rich legacy of the past is presented. The Roman her-
itage in Pula is of great importance today, although it was highly appre-
ciated in the past as well – see Agapito (1823, pp. 79–101) or the Notizie
storiche di Pola (1876). When we think about Istria, what matters is not
only the coast, but also the history and its importance in the international
context (Rusinow, 1963a).
As a Roman colony, and in the time of the Templars, Pula had a spe-
cial military and warfare significance, although from today’s perspective,
not always an entirely positive one. The gladiatorial fights in the Arena
during the Roman domination were very well known, while during the
era of the Templars in Europe, many of their celebrations, knightly com-
bats and other such events were also open to visitors (Rutar, 1896, p. 264;
Yriarte, 1883, pp. 121, 122). Roman heritage between Pula (Colonia Pietas
Iulia Pola/Colonia Iulia Pola Pollentia Herculanea) and Trieste (Colonia
Iulia Tergeste) is in fact the root of the dispute between the Italians, who
see themselves as the successors of the Roman civilization (and the Vene-
⁷ This monograph is a reprint of the original work from 1851.
⁸ More can be found in Kavrečič (2011; 2014; 2015).
⁹ The development of tourism in Istria from the second half of the 19th century onwards
is described in Blažević (1984; 1987) and Šuligoj (2015b).
16
(1977)⁷ or Yriarte (1883), local travellers like Agapito (1823, 1826) were also
active in researching the Upper Adriatic, including Istria, and their works
could then be used for travel purposes.⁸
Istria, which was the leading tourist region as early as in the period
of post-w w i i Yugoslavia (Blažević, 1984, p. 5),⁹ has thus kept its status
and still has tourism products highly recognisable on the international
level, e.g. sports events (at p tennis tournament in Umag, beach volley
in Poreč, Red Bull air races in Rovinj), cultural events (Film Festival in
Pula or in Motovun, artists in Grožnjan, many concerts by different pop-
ular artists from Croatia or abroad at the Arena Amphitheatre or the
Cave Romane quarry), Tito’s and other heritage on the Brijuni Islands,
the seasonal open air Ulysses Theatre on the Brijuni Islands (the founder
of which is the famous actor Rade Šerbedžija), traditional gastronomy,
the batana – a protected traditional boat, small rectangular stone houses
called kažun, many secular and sacral buildings from the Venetian, Aus-
trian and Italian periods, including the une sc o-protected Euphrasiana
in Poreč, the traditional salt-fields in Sečovlje, the former Parenzana rail-
road track, and many museums in Koper, Piran, Umag, Novigrad, Pazin
and Pula, where the rich legacy of the past is presented. The Roman her-
itage in Pula is of great importance today, although it was highly appre-
ciated in the past as well – see Agapito (1823, pp. 79–101) or the Notizie
storiche di Pola (1876). When we think about Istria, what matters is not
only the coast, but also the history and its importance in the international
context (Rusinow, 1963a).
As a Roman colony, and in the time of the Templars, Pula had a spe-
cial military and warfare significance, although from today’s perspective,
not always an entirely positive one. The gladiatorial fights in the Arena
during the Roman domination were very well known, while during the
era of the Templars in Europe, many of their celebrations, knightly com-
bats and other such events were also open to visitors (Rutar, 1896, p. 264;
Yriarte, 1883, pp. 121, 122). Roman heritage between Pula (Colonia Pietas
Iulia Pola/Colonia Iulia Pola Pollentia Herculanea) and Trieste (Colonia
Iulia Tergeste) is in fact the root of the dispute between the Italians, who
see themselves as the successors of the Roman civilization (and the Vene-
⁷ This monograph is a reprint of the original work from 1851.
⁸ More can be found in Kavrečič (2011; 2014; 2015).
⁹ The development of tourism in Istria from the second half of the 19th century onwards
is described in Blažević (1984; 1987) and Šuligoj (2015b).
16
