Ancient and medieval treasures
The Romans were responsible for the checkerboard layout of many of Istria's towns. At the heart of these towns was the forum, or large public square. In Poreč, part of the original paving has been preserved, as in Pula. Around this central square were the city's key buildings, led by temples and basilicas such as the Temple of Augustus in Pula. The Romans also endowed Istria with astonishing aqueducts. Not far from Trieste, the remains of a once 17 km-long aqueduct can still be seen. Monumental and functional, Roman architecture was also oriented towards leisure activities, as witnessed by the Pula amphitheatre, a 133 x 105 m ellipse with impressive arcades. The large rural estates, on the other hand, combine functionality and luxury. On the island of Veliki Brijuni, you can see the remains of a large villa with thermal baths and temples. Finally, the Romans excelled in architecture that glorified power, as illustrated by the triumphal arch of the Serges in Pula, nicknamed the Golden Gate, and the astonishing Riccardo Arch in Trieste.
Istria also impresses with its rich early Christian and Byzantine heritage. Poreč is home to a superb witness to the beginnings of Christianity: the episcopal complex of the Euphrasian Basilica. Arranged around an atrium with marble colonnades, it includes a trefoil chapel, an octagonal baptistery and a basilica with three naves and three apses, a masterpiece of harmony. Polychrome marble, gilding, frescoes and mosaics characterize Byzantine decorative art. Fine examples can be seen in Trieste's San Giusto cathedral.
The early Middle Ages saw the rise of numerous fortified villages with castles and defensive towers. The many "hilltop villages" of Croatian Istria (inspired by the fortified cities of the ancient Histories), like Piran and Rovinj, have preserved their medieval urbanism: a labyrinth of narrow streets, staircases and vaulted passageways... At the heart of these fortifications lies a beautiful, sober Romanesque heritage, such as the Church of St. Jerome in Hum, with its semicircular apse, and the Church of the Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje. The crenellated medieval tower of Motovun heralds the transition to Gothic.
Venetian footprint
Under the Venetians, the piazza became the nerve center of power. In Koper, Piazza Tito is surrounded by the Praetorian Palace, typical of Venetian Gothic with its superbly chiselled battlements, the loggia with its beautiful arcades, the armory and the cathedral - all the city's functions in one central location. In Piran, Piazza Tartini, open to the sea, is flanked by the town hall emblazoned with the lion of St. Mark and the church of St. George, the duomo, with its Venetian bell tower and rotunda baptistery. The town of Rovinj even boasts a replica of St. Mark's campanile: the bell tower of theChurch of St. Euphemia , with its summit loggia and prominent cornice. During the Renaissance, the Venetians also continued to fortify towns and villages, equipping their enclosures with superb gates, such as the triumphal arch-shaped Muda Gate in Koper. Other examples can be seen in Poreč and in Croatian "hilltop villages" such as Buzet, Hum or Pazin, which boasts one of the finest castles in Istria, with its massive volumes lightened by a beautiful corbelled gallery. It was with the Baroque that the Venetians best expressed their desire for grandeur and splendor. Sumptuous palaces, such as the Belgramoni Tacco palace in Koper, were built everywhere. But Baroque, a total art form that exploded codes and energized space, found its most perfect expression in religious buildings, such as the superb Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Trieste, with its central nave topped by a dome freely inspired by the Church of the Gesù in Rome.
Germanic influence
After the effervescence of Venetian rule, the Habsburgs turned to order and rigor, as evidenced by Trieste's Teresiano district with its strict grid pattern and perfectly calibrated buildings. Under Austro-Hungarian rule, a surprising duality emerged. On the one hand, military architecture continued to develop, as in Pula with the protected area of Fort Musil and the underground galleries of Zerostrasse. On the other, Austro-Hungarian high society displayed its wealth and power through an astonishing eclecticism. Trieste boasts some of the finest examples of this period, many of them the work of architect Eugenio Geiringer, such as the neoclassical City Hall Palace, the neo-Renaissance Bank of Italy Palace, the General Insurance Palace with its neo-Greek colonnades, and the Bavesi and Geiringer villas with their medieval fortress silhouettes. This eclecticism culminates in Miramare Castle, an astonishing fusion of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance, designed for Archduke Maximilian. At the turn of the century, Trieste became more modern, as evidenced by the gently curving Liberty House - the name of Art Nouveau in Italy - and the Aedes Palace, modeled on New York skyscrapers. The Austro-Hungarian period also saw the development of seaside tourism. Belle Époque hotels decorated with stucco, gold and stained-glass windows flourished in the small Adriatic resorts, as did villas combining antique and medieval motifs. Lovran is considered the cradle of this style. The town also boasts a superb lungomare, a pedestrian promenade running alongside the sea.
Alongside a few contemporary touches - such as the astonishing concrete M of the Montegrisa sanctuary on the heights of Trieste, Carlo Scarpa's very sober gallery that fits in perfectly with the Revoltella palace in Trieste, or the Sports Hall in Bale with its Istrian stone façade designed by the Croatian agency 3LHD - Istria is above all dedicated to preserving and rehabilitating its heritage. The Pula Group is working to reintegrate former military zones into the urban fabric, such as Fort Casoni Vecchi, which hosts the Monte Paradiso festival devoted to... punk music! Heritage as a link between eras.
