CROATIA 483Rovinj o
700 km (438 miles) NW of
Dubrovnik. * 13,000. k @ from
Pula, Poreč, Rijeka & Zagreb.
n Obala P Budicina 12, (052) 811- _ Grisia, International Art
Exhibition (2nd Sun Aug); Patron
St Euphemia’s Day (16 Sep).
http://www.tzgrovinj.hr
Originally a port built by the
Romans, the pleasant town of
Rovinj is situated on what was
formerly an island. The strait
separating it from the coast
was filled in 1763, after which
the town expanded on to the
mainland. Rovinj was ruled
by the Byzantines and Franks,
from 1283 until 1797, and
then passed into Venetianhands. The remains of a wall
dating back to the Middle
Ages can still be seen. In the
square in front of the pier is
Balbi’s Arch, an ancient city
gate, as well as a striking late
Renaissance clock tower. A
loggia dating from 1680 is
now the Civic Museum,
housing 18th-cen tury art
from the Venetian school
and works by modern
Croatian art ists.
Dominat ing the
town from its
hilltop location
is the 18th-century
Cathedral, dedi cated
to the third-
century martyr
St Euphemia.
Originating in
early Christian
times, it was
rebuilt in 1736. The saint’s
remains are pre served in a
Roman sarco phagus in the
apse of the triple-aisled
church. The adja cent bell
tower is over 62 m (200 ft)
high and was model led on
that of San Marco in Venice.
It is crowned by a copper
statue of St Euphemia. Along
the water front, the interesting
Institute of Marine Biology,
founded in the late 19th
century, houses one of the
oldest aquariums in Europe.
To the south of the town
lies Zlatni Rt, an attractive
park planted with cedars
and cypresses and fringed
by rocky beaches.E Civic Museum
trg M Tita 11. Tel (052) 816 720.
# summer: 10am–2pm & 6–
10pm Tue–Fri, 10am–2pm & 7–
10pm Sat & Sun; winter: 10am–
1pm Tue–Sat.The port-town of Rovinj, dominated by the cathedral and its bell towerPula i
720 km (450 miles) NW of
Dubrovnik. * 63,000. k £ from
Zagreb. @ from Poreč, Rovinj &
Zagreb. g from Zadar. n Forum 3,
(052) 212 987. _ Music events in
Arena, Pula Amphitheatre (summer),
Croatian Film Festival (summer).
http://www.pulainfo.hr
The hisoric town of Pula is
best known for its mag nificent
monu ments from the Roman
era, when it was a colony
known as Pietas Julia. It was
destroyed by an East-German-
ic tribe, the Ostrogoths, but
began to flourish again when
it became the main base for
the Byzantine fleet in the 6th
and 7th centuries. In 1150, it
came under Venetian rule and
in 1856, Austria made it the
base for its fleet. Pula contin-
ues to be one of the most
important naval bases in
Croatia and is also now an
important university town.
The Pula Amphitheatre is the
town’s star attraction. Regarded
as one of the sixth larg est
Roman amphitheatres in the
world, it once seated 23,000
spectators. Originally built
by Emperor Claudius, it
was expanded by Emperor
Vespasian in AD 79 for gladia-
tor fights. Today, it is a
pop ular venue for concerts
ranging from opera to rock as
well as an annual film festival.
To the south of the
amphitheatre, two gates mark
the entrance to the heart of
the town. The single-arched
Gate of Hercules, with a carv-
ing of the head of Hercules
at the top, was built in the 1st
century BC and is the oldest
The Temple of Romae and Augustus,
a jewel of Roman architecture, Pula
and best-preserved Roman
monument in the town. Just
north, towards the harbour,
the later Twin Gate, with an
ornate frieze, leads to the
Archaeological Museum. On
display are finds from Pula and
the surrounding area, with
collections from Prehistoric
times to the Middle
Ages. Roman
antiquities and archi-
tectural remains from
medieval times are the
other items on exhibit.
In the southeast of
the town stands the
Arch of Sergii, also
known as the Golden
Gate. It was erected
in the 1st century BC
to honour three
brothers who held
impor tant positions
in the Roman Empire. Its frieze
has a bas-relief depicting a
chariot pulled by horses.Headless statue,
Archaeological Museum