Pula
We started the day by heading to Pula, which is the largest city in Istria/Western Croatia. The city has some great Roman ruins. Some, like the Arena, are impossible to miss. Others, like Agrippina’s House, are hidden away and you need to know where to look to find them.
Arch of the Sergii
The first bit of ruins we encountered in Pula was the Arch of the Sergii, an ancient Roman triumphal arch built between 29-27 BC. The arch commemorates three members of the Sergii family, specifically Lucius Sergius Lepidus, a tribune serving in the twenty-ninth legion that participated in the Battle of Actium, and Lucius Sergius and Gaius Sergius, the honoree’s father and uncle respectively.
Roman Mosaic – The Punishment of Dirce
This Roman mosaic, depicting a classical myth, was built sometime in the 3rd century (or possibly late 2nd century). Originally the floor of a Roman home, it was long covered and lost to history, until bombing during World War II revealed the mosaic 2 meters below the ground. Once the rubble was removed, the mosaic was left as-is (instead of being removed to a museum) because it was so well preserved.
The “Punishment of Dirce” mosaic tells a dramatic story from Greek mythology, where Dirce, a demigoddess, was tied to a bull and dragged to her death as punishment. When the Roman Empire co-opted much of Greek culture, the myth of Dirce was depicted in several of their works that survive to date, including this tile that is part of a larger mosaic.
Agrippina’s House
This fascinating bit of ruins would have been difficult to find if not for our guide, Ella. It’s tucked away between buildings. You have to pass through a small business to access this hidden gem. Part of the house is located inside the OTP Bank building, while the remaining part, excavated during the 1980’s, is outside, tucked between buildings. Found during excavation were imported Hellenistic and Etruscan ceramics from the periods spanning the 6th century BC to 6th century AD.
Who Was Agrippina?
Agrippina (aka Agrippina Minor, aka Agrippina The Younger) was was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero. She was the great-granddaughter of Augustus (the first Roman emperor) and the daughter of the Roman general Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder. Agrippina’s brother Caligula became emperor in AD 37. After Caligula was assassinated in AD 41, Germanicus’ brother Claudius took the throne. Agrippina married Claudius in AD 49, her third marriage. It’s interesting to note that all her husbands died under suspicious circumstances. Legend has it that she poisoned Claudius so her son Nero could claim the throne, but who would later have her killed.
Pula Forum Square
The Forum Square is the main square in Pula, and today features the Pula Communal Palace and Temple of Augustus.
Pula Communal Palace
The Communal Palace is situated at the northern end of Forum Square. There were originally three Roman temples, but only the Temple of Augustus remains. In the 9th century, the Temple of Diana was used as a rudimentary city hall. As Pula grew, a dedicated city hall was needed, so construction of the new city hall at the site of the Temple of Diana began near the end of the 13th century, and was initially finished in 1296.
As the city prospered, there was a need to construct a dedicated place which would serve as a city hall, so the construction of the new city hall at the site of the Temple of Diana began near the end of the 13th century, and the new city hall was finished in 1296. Materials from the Temple of Diana were used in the construction, and the entire northern part of the temple is still visible at the back side of the Communal Palace. There have been many reconstructions done over the years, changing styles from the original Gothic style to Renaissance style (end of the 15th century), to Baroque style (end of the 17th century). The present state of building is due to several reconstructions made during the 19th and 20th centuries, the last of which was finished in 1988.
Temple of Augustus
The Temple of Augustus is the only remaining Roman Temple of the three original temples. Dedicated to the first Roman emperor, Augustus, it was probably built during the emperor’s lifetime at some point between 27 BC and his death in AD 14.
It was struck by a bomb during World War II, almost totally destroying it, but was reconstructed in 1947 using the original materials. For a few Euro you can enter the temple and view the collection of Roman sculptures.
Pula Arena
The biggest draw (literally and figuratively) in Pula is the ancient Roman arena/amphitheatre. Constructed between 27 BC and AD 68, the Arena is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman amphitheatres in the world and the only remaining example to retain its entire circular wall structure. It’s the fifth largest Roman arena in the world.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Pula Cathedral is a co-cathedral, along with the Euphrasian Basilica, as one of the two official seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Poreč and Pula. It’s believed that the site of the present-day church hosted a temple dedicated to Jupiter Conservator in Roman times. Archeological excavations also revealed ruins of Roman baths on that location.
James Joyce in Pula
James Joyce lived in Pula, Croatia, from October 1904 to March 1905, marking it as the first place he resided outside Ireland after leaving with his partner, Nora Barnacle. Joyce taught English while there. Despite his brief stay, this period was significant for his literary development; he wrote the short story “Clay,” which would become part of his collection Dubliners, and worked on his early novel Stephen Hero, which was later revised into A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
Although Joyce hated his time in Pula, calling it a “naval Siberia” and criticizing the surrounding region as a “long boring place”, in 2003 Pula installed a bronze statue of Joyce, created by Croatian sculptor Mate Čvrljak. Teresa, being a retired high school English teacher, couldn’t resist a photo op.
Catching the Ferry in Fažana
A short distance from Pula is Fažana, where we’d catch the ferry to Brijuni National Park, on Veliki Brijun, the largest island in the Brijuni Islands archipelago. We had a short wait for the ferry, so walked around a bit. The only thing of interest in the immediate area was the very tiny Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Brijuni National Park
Brijuni National Park is a short boat ride from Fažana, and is located on Veliki Brijun, the largest island in the Brijuni Islands archipelago. There’s a lot to do in Brijuni National Park, and while we saw a lot, we didn’t see everything. We began by taking the free train around the island. There was a guide giving us information over the intercom as we went. We stopped briefly for snacks and coffee in the animal park. We saw the only elephant in all of Croatia, plus some zebras and sheep. It wasn’t much of an animal park, but the scenery was beautiful.
After the train ride, we rended a 4-person golf card and an electric Vespa. Teresa and I were on the Vespa, and everyone else the golf cart. At one point I was admiring a nice view and went off the small paved path. I almost crashed getting back on the path, but managed to hold on and keep us upright! Speaking of golf cards, one of the weirder things we saw was the golf course that’s in the middle of the park. The “greens” were actually packed sand! Very strange.
The Byzantine Castrum
We rode our rented vehicles to the Byzantine Castrum to explore and have a picnic lunch (that we packed with us from the apartment). The Castrum was pretty cool. It’s an area with centuries of ruins built on top of each other.
The first villa was built on the site in the 1st century BC. Shortly after, a new villa was constructed partly on the site of the first, with a central courtyard and equipment for producing olive oil and wine, as well as cellars, and modestly arranged housing units. By the end of the 4th century, the villa had grown into a closely-built settlement with houses, olive and grapes processing plants, storage rooms, workshops, blacksmith workshops, and ovens. It was essentially a self-contained community.
At the beginning of the 5th century, the settlement grew further around the villa, and for its protection, the defensive walls were erected in mid-5th century. Either side of the wall could be climbed onto by single or double stairs, while the walls were reinforced with counterfort on the side facing the sea.
It was fun to explore the different areas and try to figure out which areas were used for olive oil and wine production.
St. Mary’s basilica
Immediately next to the castrum are the ruins of St. Mary’s basilica, erected to serve the needs of those living/working in the castrum. Life in the castrum continued until the time of Venetian rule. The basilica is notable for its rectangular apse – a rare feature for its time.
Ancient Olive Tree
Another highlight is the island’s massive 1600-year-old olive tree, one of the few remaining trees of what was once an ancient olive grove planted here by the Romans. At the time, olive oil from Istria was exported by ship throughout the empire. The tree still bears fruit, which is picked at each harvest-time and pressed for oil.
Tito’s Cadillac
Tito’s Cadillac, a 1951 dark green Cadillac Eldorado, is a prominent attraction on the Brijuni Islands in Croatia, where it was used by Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito during his stays at his private residence on the archipelago. The car, gifted to Tito in 1953 by Croatian immigrants in Canada, is considered his personal vehicle, distinct from his other official cars.
Robert Koch Memorial Plaque
Robert Koch, the renowned German microbiologist and Nobel Prize laureate, played a pivotal role in eradicating malaria from the Brijuni Islands in the early 20th century. Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser had purchased the archipelago in 1894 with the goal of transforming it into an exclusive resort, but malaria, which had plagued the islands for centuries, hindered development.
Koch and his team conducted extensive research on the islands, identifying the Anopheles mosquito as the vector for malaria transmission and implementing measures such as draining swamps to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. Their efforts were successful, and the islands were declared malaria-free by 1901.
In recognition of his contribution, a memorial plaque was erected in 1908 in a former quarry, designed by the Viennese artist Josef Engelhart and depicting a young girl placing a laurel wreath on Koch’s head.
Dinner and a stroll back in Rovinj
Once back in Rovinj, we rested a bit then headed to dinner at Pizzeria Stari Grad, which served excellent Neapolitan pizza. The Pizza Tonno was especially delicious! After dinner we had gelato, then a leisurely stroll back to the apartment where we needed to pack our suitcases for departure in the morning.
Gelato – What Not To Get
There’s no shortage of gelato along the promenade in Rovinj, but most of them are to be avoided. If you see gelato piled high in a large mound, it’s not made fresh on-site, it’s mass produced in a factory and shipped to various restaurants in large tubs. If uyou see gelato that looks like the picture below, AVOID! (This goes for anywhere in Europe, really.)
Here’s a short video of folks dancing along the promenade in Rovinj. We drove by on our way back to the apartment, and there were many more people dancing (easily 20-30 people), but by the time we walked back to the area, there were only a few still dancing.
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