Page 62 - Pelc, Stanko, and Miha Koderman, eds., 2016. Regional development, sustainability, and marginalization. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
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ional development, sustainability, and marginalization 60 Koper
Koper (Italian: Capodistria) is a city on the Adriatic coast with a his-
tory dating back to Roman times. The Latin name of the town is
Capris (goat). In 568, Roman citizens of nearby Trieste fled to Ca-
pris due to an invasion of the Lombards. Since the 8th century, Ko-
per has the seat of a diocese. It was long under Venetian rule, which
can be observed in every step you make through old medieval part
of the city. When Trieste became a free port in 1719, Koper lost its
monopoly on trade, and its importance further diminished. It was
assigned to the Habsburg Empire after Napoleon’s defeat, and to
Italy after the First World War. After the Second World War, it
was a part of Zone B of the Free Territory of Trieste, controlled by
Yugoslavia. Most of the Italian inhabitants left the city by 1954, when
the Free Territory of Trieste formally ceased to exist, and Zone B
became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. With
Slovenian independence in 1991, Koper became the only commer-
cial port in Slovenia. Today, the municipality of Koper is home to
about 50,000 inhabitants, who mostly work in logistics and trade,
as well as in education and research.
Koper (Italian: Capodistria) is a city on the Adriatic coast with a his-
tory dating back to Roman times. The Latin name of the town is
Capris (goat). In 568, Roman citizens of nearby Trieste fled to Ca-
pris due to an invasion of the Lombards. Since the 8th century, Ko-
per has the seat of a diocese. It was long under Venetian rule, which
can be observed in every step you make through old medieval part
of the city. When Trieste became a free port in 1719, Koper lost its
monopoly on trade, and its importance further diminished. It was
assigned to the Habsburg Empire after Napoleon’s defeat, and to
Italy after the First World War. After the Second World War, it
was a part of Zone B of the Free Territory of Trieste, controlled by
Yugoslavia. Most of the Italian inhabitants left the city by 1954, when
the Free Territory of Trieste formally ceased to exist, and Zone B
became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. With
Slovenian independence in 1991, Koper became the only commer-
cial port in Slovenia. Today, the municipality of Koper is home to
about 50,000 inhabitants, who mostly work in logistics and trade,
as well as in education and research.
