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The town of Rovinj was once an island, but 300 years ago it was joined to the mainland. A Roman settlement known as Arupinum or Ruginium is recorded as a vicus, a village, of Pola. It attracted refugees from inland locations when the region was invaded by the Avars and the Slavs, because it was situated on an islet. The limited space led to the construction of narrow buildings, streets and small town squares.Of particular interest in this town centre are the characteristically designed chimneys. The town itself was declared a cultural monument in 1963

Instead of the customary medieval defensive wall surrounding the town itself, Rovinj's houses rise directly up from the waterside, creating a natural and handsome defensive wall. These houses, most of them five stories, form a contiguous barricade around the seafront circle

•Rovinj has 14,500 inhabitants•the official languages are Croatian and Italian•the main industry is tourism

Overall most of the town seems to

have been built in the XVIIIth century. Two Provveditori

alle Strade, magistrates in

charge of controlling the

development of the town and

improving its streets, were

appointed in 1717

Market in Rovinj

Grisia street leads uphill from behind the Balbi Arch to St Euphemia

Croatia is one of the largest producers of lavender

Hotel Angelo d’Oro

In the XIIIth century Rovigno sought the protection of Venice and it remained a

possession of la Serenissima until 1797

Narrow streets, stairs down to the blue sea

Street altar

Small balconies are a typical feature of Venetian architecture which can be observed in many buildings of Rovigno

Sv. Križa street, Katarina island

Katarina island and Old city Rovinj

Rovinj St Cross gate

At Rovinj's farthermost point is the Cathedral of St. Euphemia, and next to it a bell tower, or campanile. Construction of the tower started in December 1651 by placing the first stone. On the top of the bell-tower there is a statue of the patron-saint

The unique and beautiful statue forged in the workshop of the brothers Vallana from Maniago, was placed on the bell tower in 1758 to replace an old  wooden statues destroyed from the lightning. The statue is placed on bearings so that it rotates around its axis in the wind direction. The bell-tower and the statue reach the height of more than 61 meters. The construction lasted for twenty-six years The wheel refers to a torture endured by Euphemia

The bell tower, with a statue of St. Euphemia (4.70 m tall), is the highest in Istria

A small Church of St. George used to be situated where the Church of St. Euphemia is located today. When St. Euphemia's sarcophagus was brought to Rovinj, the Church of St. George became too small for all the pilgrims. In the 10th century the people of Rovinj started building a new, bigger churchS. Eufemia: (left) façade (completed in 1861); (centre) main altar; (right) reliefs which decorated the old church

The only memory of the Roman past of Rovigno is a roughly cut sarcophagus which according to tradition washed ashore in 800 with the relics of St. Euphemia of Chalcedon, a 4th century martyr

The ancient sarcophagus assumed to contain the relics of the Saint Euphemia

The sarcophagus being carried into the town, 1883

by Leonardo Riga

During the War of Chioggia (1378-81) it was sacked by the Genoese who took away the relics of St. Euphemia. These were recovered by the Venetians who however were reluctant to return them to Rovigno

Arco dei Balbi was built in 1680 and modified a century later. It celebrated an enlargement of Rovigno

Gradska palace (Communal Palace) 1308 (reconstructed 1822)

Marshal Tito Square, the main square, is the liveliest place in town, located on the shore, below the old town

Rovinj Venetian clock tower at the Square of Marshal Tito

Marshal Tito Square

the Square of Marshal Tito

Marshal Tito Square, where you will find the clock tower from the 19th century with the Venetian lion, former tower and a part of the city walls

Boy with a fish, fountain in

Marshal Tito Square

Batana House Riva Budicindedicated to the traditional wooden boat known as the batana

Batanas are flat-bottomed boats which are even nowdays berthed in Rovinj ports

Due to their longevity and

traditional way of construction

the Batana Eco-museum project

has been nominated

for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural

Heritage list for 2015

Memorial Designed by Ivan Sabolić. Built in 1956Monument to fallen fighters and victims of Fascist terror

Text: InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Gabriela Cristescu InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors.

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasandahttp://www.authorstream.com/sandamichaela/

Sound: Maksim Mrvica Croatian Rhapsody