Tourist
Info Rovinj and History of Rovinj
Rovinj is one of the most
picturesque Mediterranean towns located
on the western coast of Istria, the biggest
Adriatic peninsula, which is only a one
hour ride away from Trieste, 270 km away
from Zagreb, a little bit more than 500
km away from Vienna and around 700 km away
from Munich.
Rovinj has around 15.000 inhabitants and
most of them are largely engaged in tourism,
in the fishing trade and in agriculture.
The town has a rich history, as well as
interesting architectural buildings, beautiful
natural resources and industrious people
who are certainly worth a visit.
The Rovinj coastal area is very well articulated
with numerous bays, creeks, and capes. There
are places of great natural and ecological
value: Forest Park Punta Corente-Muntrav,
St. Andrea's archipelago, the Palud marsh,
the Limski kanal Fjord, and Monfiorenzo
cave.
For places to see, definitely go to the
cathedral of St. Euphemia (built in 1736)
which is the largest Baroque building in
Istria, the town's museum and Rovinj Aquarium.
For the first time mentioned
in 7th century, Rovinj is today a treasury
of cultural and historical monuments: a
13th century Romanesque heptagonal baptistery,
the baroque Parish church of St. Euphemia
(1736), the church of St Francis and the
Franciscan monastery dating from the 18th
century with very rich library, the Baroque
town hall built a century before, ornated
by the symbolic city clock, the city museum,
the Local Magistrate's Court, the city walls
with the famous Balbi's gate...
It is very likely that Rovinj is much older,
emerging somewhere at the turn of the 3rd
and the 4th centuries, and maybe even at
an earlier period, since in the 1st and
2nd century B.E. proofs of life on the island
had been found. «Castrum Rubini»
was certainly located at today's site of
the parish church of St.Euphemia. During
this period, Istria was under Romans rule
that stayed there until 476, when the invasions
of the Huns, the Ostrogoths and in 539 of
the Byzantine started. The inhabitants refuged
to the island of Rovinj which at that time
had around hundred inhabitants. After Byzant
(788) Istria fell under French rule. During
the 9th century, it was invaded from the
sea and from the mainland by various robbers
(Slavs, people who inhabited the Neretva
area, Saracens). Istria experienced a very
turbulent period between the 9th and the
11th century, since the properties often
changed their owners and the cities started
their struggle for autonomy and founded
a municipal structure in opposition to Istria's
church and feudal ruler – the Aquileian
patriarch. At that time Venice, a very strong
maritime republic, grew stronger, under
the power of which Rovinj fell in 1283.
In this way, the local government in the
town was limited and the Venetians put their
own man in the leading role in the town.
During Venetain times, Rovinj was developing
into a strong fishing, ship building and
maritime center, especially in the 17th
and 18th century when they had the precedence
over Istria. At that time the town walls
were secured, the town started to expand
itself to the mainland, so that in 1763
the channel between the mainland and the
island was covered up and Rovinj became
a peninsula.
In the mid 18th century Rovinj had more than
eight thousand inhabitants and thus there
were also more houses than there used to be
in other similar towns at the Adriatic Sea.
Because of the high number of inhabitants
and pilgrims, today's parish church St. Euphemus
was built. In 1797 the Venetian republic lost
its power and for a short time Istria is first
under Austrian (until 1805) and then under
Napoleon's rule. From 1809 to 1813 Istria
was a part of Napoleon's Illyrian provinces.
In 1813 the Austrians took their power back
and a period of industrial and urban development
started. In 1852 Rovinj built cement production
facilities, in 1872 a tobacco factory followed,
in 1878 a wax factory was built and in 1882
a glass and sardine factory were erected.
At that time, the shipbuilding industry was
in full stride, and the southern part of the
town even had six smaller shipyards, of which
one is still working today. In 1865 Rovinj
built a theater as well, in 1888 a hospital
was built and in 1891 the construction of
a Sea biology institute followed.
Many inhabitants of Rovinj went to Pula in
the 19th century, which at that time was the
biggest naval port in the Austria-Hungary
monarchy.
When the monarchy fell apart, Rovinj fell
under the fascist Italy at the end of WW I
(1914 – 1918) and remained under that rule
until the capitulation in 1943, and by the
end of WW II the town remained under German
occupation.
In the second half of the 20th century Rovinj
was, like the whole of Croatia, a part of
Yugoslavia, which lasted until 1991, the year
of big political changes, when Croatia started
its journey towards independence and the acknowledgement
of which followed in January 1992. For the
past few centuries, the number of inhabitants
fluctuated between 12 and 15 thousand, and
today the town officially has a number of
14.234 citizens.
In the past 40 years Rovinj has developed
into a real tourist center thanks to its nature,
the well-indented coast and a large number
of islands, an interesting surrounding, its
pleasant Mediterranean climate, the variety
of accommodations and tourist attractions
and its cultural-historical values. All of
this makes Rovinj an ideal holiday destination,
which has been proven by many acknowledgements
by a large number of guests and by many awards
of various tourist associations and patrols.
