Page 72 - Dark Shades of Istria
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Trans-Border Region of Istria
• linked the Istrian south with Trieste and Wien by rail (Baskar, 2010,
p. 11; Kavrečič, 2007; 2014, p. 52; Šuligoj, 2015a, p. 31). Some towns
from Trieste to Poreč were linked by the narrow-gauge railway
Parenzana (Roselli, 2002; Šuligoj & Medarić, 2015);
• connected Istrian coastal cities by the sea with Trieste and other port
cities in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean (Čučić, 2006; Lamut,
2013; Šuligoj & Medarić, 2015; Yriarte, 1883);
• enabled, at the time of the Italian authority, the establishment of
air links among cities of the Upper Adriatic and with Zadar, An-
cona, Pavia, Torino, and Genova. Flights were carried out by S.I.S.A
(Societa Italiana Servizi Aeronautici) and the airplanes of Karl Ku-
pelwieser (Gombač & Brezovec, 2007; Lamarche, 1929; Šuligoj &
Medarić, 2015, p. 57–59).
These findings show that travelling in the south-north direction and
then towards central Europe and the Mediterranean is therefore a histor-
ically important route for Istrians (Figure 5.1). Political and natural phys-
ical barriers have contributed to poor transport links to the central parts
of Slovenia and Croatia – see also Raos (2014, p. 36). It is necessary to
highlight that connections of the northern part of the peninsula with the
continent (the direction Koper–Ljubljana) have greatly improved since
1991.³
5.1 Region of Istria: A Political Geography Perspective
The Upper Adriatic is the northernmost region of the Mediterranean
Sea,⁴ which was, according to Žerjavić (1993, p. 632) and Ashbrook (2006,
pp. 3–4),⁵ a geostrategic concern for the empires and nation-states in the
neighbourhood:⁶ the Habsburg Monarchy until 1918, Italy (officially from
1920 to 1943),⁷ the Second Yugoslavia⁸ until 1991, and then its legal succes-
³ More about transport links in the trans-border region of Istria can be found in Koncept
prostornog razvoja Istre (Zavod za prostorno uređenje Istarske županije, 2016).
⁴ Also called the Northern Adriatic region.
⁵ More can be found in Marcks et al. (2016), Violante (2009), or Reverdito (2009).
⁶ The changing geopolitical situation within the Europe of the 20th century is described in
Janicki (2009).
⁷ Their imperialistic preferences/desires have gone beyond this period and have been di-
rected to the domination of the entire Adriatic.
⁸ The successor state to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (The First Yugoslavia), existed under
various names, including the Democratic Federation of Yugoslavia (1943–1945), the Fed-
eral People’s Republic of Yugoslavia (1946–1963) and the Socialist Federal Republic of
72
• linked the Istrian south with Trieste and Wien by rail (Baskar, 2010,
p. 11; Kavrečič, 2007; 2014, p. 52; Šuligoj, 2015a, p. 31). Some towns
from Trieste to Poreč were linked by the narrow-gauge railway
Parenzana (Roselli, 2002; Šuligoj & Medarić, 2015);
• connected Istrian coastal cities by the sea with Trieste and other port
cities in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean (Čučić, 2006; Lamut,
2013; Šuligoj & Medarić, 2015; Yriarte, 1883);
• enabled, at the time of the Italian authority, the establishment of
air links among cities of the Upper Adriatic and with Zadar, An-
cona, Pavia, Torino, and Genova. Flights were carried out by S.I.S.A
(Societa Italiana Servizi Aeronautici) and the airplanes of Karl Ku-
pelwieser (Gombač & Brezovec, 2007; Lamarche, 1929; Šuligoj &
Medarić, 2015, p. 57–59).
These findings show that travelling in the south-north direction and
then towards central Europe and the Mediterranean is therefore a histor-
ically important route for Istrians (Figure 5.1). Political and natural phys-
ical barriers have contributed to poor transport links to the central parts
of Slovenia and Croatia – see also Raos (2014, p. 36). It is necessary to
highlight that connections of the northern part of the peninsula with the
continent (the direction Koper–Ljubljana) have greatly improved since
1991.³
5.1 Region of Istria: A Political Geography Perspective
The Upper Adriatic is the northernmost region of the Mediterranean
Sea,⁴ which was, according to Žerjavić (1993, p. 632) and Ashbrook (2006,
pp. 3–4),⁵ a geostrategic concern for the empires and nation-states in the
neighbourhood:⁶ the Habsburg Monarchy until 1918, Italy (officially from
1920 to 1943),⁷ the Second Yugoslavia⁸ until 1991, and then its legal succes-
³ More about transport links in the trans-border region of Istria can be found in Koncept
prostornog razvoja Istre (Zavod za prostorno uređenje Istarske županije, 2016).
⁴ Also called the Northern Adriatic region.
⁵ More can be found in Marcks et al. (2016), Violante (2009), or Reverdito (2009).
⁶ The changing geopolitical situation within the Europe of the 20th century is described in
Janicki (2009).
⁷ Their imperialistic preferences/desires have gone beyond this period and have been di-
rected to the domination of the entire Adriatic.
⁸ The successor state to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (The First Yugoslavia), existed under
various names, including the Democratic Federation of Yugoslavia (1943–1945), the Fed-
eral People’s Republic of Yugoslavia (1946–1963) and the Socialist Federal Republic of
72
