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Pula ( Italian Pola) is the largest city in Istria, Croatia, at the southern tip of that peninsula. Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, tame sea and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of wine making, fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism. Pula has also been Istria's administrative center since ancient Roman days.1 Sights
The city is best known for its many surviving ancient Roman buildings, the most famous of which is its first century amphitheatre, sixth largest in the world, locally called Arena. Arena is one of the best preserved amphitheaters from antiquity and is still in use today during summer film festivals. Two other notable and well preserved ancient Roman structures are the first century triumphal arch, the Arch of SergiusThe Arch of Sergius is an Ancient Roman triumphal arch located in Pula, Croatia and built in the 1st century A. Triumphal arches., and temple to ApolloApollo ( Greek: , Apollon is a god in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Artemis (goddess of the hunt). In later times he became in part confused or equated with Helios, god of the sun, and his sister similarly equated wi built in the 1st century AD1st century BC 1st century 2nd century other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 99. Events Beginning of Christianity Spread of the Roman Empire Masoretes adds vowel pointings to the text of the Tanakh Pompeii and Herculaneu Roman emperor Caesar AugustusAugustus (plural Augusti is Latin for "majestic" or "venerable". Although the use of the cognomen "Augustus" as part of one's name is generally understood to identify the Roman Emperor, this is somewhat misleading; "Augustus" was the most significant name. You can still walk through the city's old quarter of narrow streets, lined with Medieval and RenaissanceLeonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, an example of the blend of art and science during the Renaissance The Renaissance was a great cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern Eur buildings, on ancient Roman paving stones.
1.1 Pula's Ancient Roman Structures
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| Amphitheater Arena |
ApolloApollo ( Greek: , Apollon is a god in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Artemis (goddess of the hunt). In later times he became in part confused or equated with Helios, god of the sun, and his sister similarly equated wi's Temple |
Triumphal Arch of SergiusThe Arch of Sergius is an Ancient Roman triumphal arch located in Pula, Croatia and built in the 1st century A. Triumphal arches. |
2 History
The city's earliest recorded permanent habitation dates back to the 5th century BC. It was founded by the Illyrian tribe of the Histri, the most ancient population living in Istria.
Significant Roman settlement (Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola) began in the first century AD. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the city was ruled by Ostrogoths, Franks, and the Venetians, as each succeeded the other in ruling the region. The first arrival of the Slavs dates to the 7th century. The history of the city continued to reflect its location and significance, like that of the region, in the redrawing of borders between European powers.
Pola is quoted by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri in the "Divina Commedia": "come a Pola, presso del Carnaro ch'Italia chiude e i suoi termini bagna" ("as Pola, along the Quarnero, that marks the end of Italy and bathes its boundaries"). Though at Dante's time Italy political unification was merely a dream, this quote is important because it is the first time that the question of the eastern border arises, and supports later justification for Italian claims on the region.
In 1848, Pola and Istria came under the rule of Austria and became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire assigned to the "Küstenland". During this period, Pola's large natural harbor became the site of Austria's main naval base and a major shipbuilding center. The island of Mali Lošinj to the south of Pola became the summer vacation resort of Austria's Habsburg royal family.
Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Pola along with all of Istria became a part of Italy. Italian rule lasted until the end of World War II. For a number of years following that war Pola was administered by the United Nations, including U.S. military forces, as Istria was partitioned into occupation zones until the region became largely united with the rest of Croatia within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
It is stated that 90% of the inhabitants were of Italian ethnicity when the city was ceded to Yugoslavia; almost all of them left. Subsequently the official name was changed to Pula. Since the collapse of the SFRY, Pula and Istria have become part of modern Croatia.
