Page 85 - Dark Shades of Istria
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5.3 Region of Istria: A Brief Historical Overview
zu Pola/K. u. K. Genie und Befestigungsbau direction zu Pola) was respon-
sible for the construction of numerous facilities of vital maritime signif-
icance, such as shores, gates and a breakwater as well as the construc-
tion of a defence system, composed of fortifications and coastal batteries
(Marsetič, 2013; Perović, 2006, p. 120). All these development activities
led to a strong militarisation as well as the systematic urban planning
and economic progress of Pula and the entire southern Istrian peninsula
(Marsetič, 2013).
The liberal orientation of the Austro-Hungarian administration and
society was reflected in legal prostitution that was carried out in broth-
els (bludilišta), inns and cafes as well as in the hotels Bologna, Milano,
All’Istria, Trieste, Centrale and Riviera; licensed prostitutes as well as il-
legal ones, who came from Istria and other counties, were affectionately
called nocturnal butterflies (farfalline notturne) (Dukovski, 2006, pp. 23–
24; Mohorović, 2017).³⁸ In addition to the rest of the entertainment, Pula
was also extremely advanced (or decadent, hedonistic, epicurean, profli-
gate) in the field of cinema, including an abundant supply of films with
erotic and pornographic content (Kalčić, 2016); a wide range of serious
cultural content was also available to the public, which greatly affected the
quality of life in the city.³⁹ These facts are interesting also because of their
exceptionality, and it should be stated that the situation in Pula differed
from the rest of the region by the presence of the army. The rural parts
of the peninsula did not enjoy all this cultural and economic abundance
and people there lived in poverty – see Knez (2010), Marsetič (2014) and
Stradner (1903).
As mentioned before, Pula had good sea, air, rail and road links with
other Istrian towns and Trieste (Perović, 2006, p. 145; Šuligoj & Medarić,
2015; Yriarte, 1883, pp. 118–120), which, after 1848/49, became the polit-
ical and cultural centre for Istrian Croats and Slovenians (Žitko, 2011,
p. 30); the city was particularly important for those from the North of
the peninsula.⁴⁰ Cities in the northern part of the peninsula (Muggia,
Isola, Piran) developed the processing industry (fish processing), ship-
³⁸ Trieste, which was among the most ‘famous’ cities for prostitution in the monarchy, was
relatively close and the way of regulating this field was transferred from there to Pula –
more can be found in Dukovski (2016), Mohorović (2017) and Wingfield (2017).
³⁹ More can be found in Gortan-Carlin (2012).
⁴⁰ Consequently, both were estranged from ideas generated in the continental centres of
both Slavic nations, in Zagreb and Ljubljana (Žitko, 2011, p. 30).
85
zu Pola/K. u. K. Genie und Befestigungsbau direction zu Pola) was respon-
sible for the construction of numerous facilities of vital maritime signif-
icance, such as shores, gates and a breakwater as well as the construc-
tion of a defence system, composed of fortifications and coastal batteries
(Marsetič, 2013; Perović, 2006, p. 120). All these development activities
led to a strong militarisation as well as the systematic urban planning
and economic progress of Pula and the entire southern Istrian peninsula
(Marsetič, 2013).
The liberal orientation of the Austro-Hungarian administration and
society was reflected in legal prostitution that was carried out in broth-
els (bludilišta), inns and cafes as well as in the hotels Bologna, Milano,
All’Istria, Trieste, Centrale and Riviera; licensed prostitutes as well as il-
legal ones, who came from Istria and other counties, were affectionately
called nocturnal butterflies (farfalline notturne) (Dukovski, 2006, pp. 23–
24; Mohorović, 2017).³⁸ In addition to the rest of the entertainment, Pula
was also extremely advanced (or decadent, hedonistic, epicurean, profli-
gate) in the field of cinema, including an abundant supply of films with
erotic and pornographic content (Kalčić, 2016); a wide range of serious
cultural content was also available to the public, which greatly affected the
quality of life in the city.³⁹ These facts are interesting also because of their
exceptionality, and it should be stated that the situation in Pula differed
from the rest of the region by the presence of the army. The rural parts
of the peninsula did not enjoy all this cultural and economic abundance
and people there lived in poverty – see Knez (2010), Marsetič (2014) and
Stradner (1903).
As mentioned before, Pula had good sea, air, rail and road links with
other Istrian towns and Trieste (Perović, 2006, p. 145; Šuligoj & Medarić,
2015; Yriarte, 1883, pp. 118–120), which, after 1848/49, became the polit-
ical and cultural centre for Istrian Croats and Slovenians (Žitko, 2011,
p. 30); the city was particularly important for those from the North of
the peninsula.⁴⁰ Cities in the northern part of the peninsula (Muggia,
Isola, Piran) developed the processing industry (fish processing), ship-
³⁸ Trieste, which was among the most ‘famous’ cities for prostitution in the monarchy, was
relatively close and the way of regulating this field was transferred from there to Pula –
more can be found in Dukovski (2016), Mohorović (2017) and Wingfield (2017).
³⁹ More can be found in Gortan-Carlin (2012).
⁴⁰ Consequently, both were estranged from ideas generated in the continental centres of
both Slavic nations, in Zagreb and Ljubljana (Žitko, 2011, p. 30).
85
