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Location Information:
Pula
is the largest city in Istria
County, Croatia, situated at the
southern tip of the Istria
peninsula, with a population of
62,080 (2006). 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 winemaking, fishing,
shipbuilding, and tourism. Pula has
also been Istria's administrative
centre since ancient Roman times.
The
city is best known for its many
surviving ancient Roman buildings,
the most famous of which is its
first century amphitheatre, which is
among the six largest surviving
Roman arenas in the world. and
locally known as the Arena. This is
one of the best preserved
amphitheatres from antiquity and is
still in use today during summer
film festivals. During the World War
II Italian fascist administration,
there were attempts to disassemble
the arena and move it to mainland
Italy, which were quickly abandoned
due to the costs involved.
Two
other notable and well-preserved
ancient Roman structures are the 1st
century AD triumphal arch, the Arch
of the Sergii and the co-eval temple
of Rome and Augustus, built in the
1st century AD built on the forum
during the reign of the Roman
emperor Augustus.
The
Twin Gates (Porta Gemina) is one of
the few remaining gates after the
city walls were pulled down at the
beginning of the 19th century. It
dates from the mid-2nd century,
replacing an earlier gate. It
consists of two arches, columns, a
plain architrave and a decorated
frieze. Close by are a few remains
of the old city wall.
The
Gate of Hercules dates from the
first century. At the top of the
single arch one can see the bearded
head of Hercules, carved in
high-relief, and his club on the
adjoining voussoir. A damaged
inscription, close to the club,
contains the names of Lucius
Calpurnius Piso and Gaius Cassius
Longinus who were entrusted by the
Roman senate to found a colony at
the site of Pula. Thus it can be
deduced that Pula was founded
between 47 and 44 BC.
The
Augustan Forum was constructed in
the first century BC, close to the
sea. In Roman times it was
surrounded by temples of Jupiter,
Juno and Minerva. This Roman
commercial and administrative centre
of the city remained the main square
of classical and medieval Pula. It
still is the main administrative and
legislative centre of the city. The
temple of Roma and Augustus is still
preserved today. A part of the back
wall of the temple of Juno was
integrated into the Communal Palace
in the 13th century.
Two
Roman theatres have withstood the
ravages of time: the smaller one (diam.
circa 50 m; 2nd c. AD) near the
centre, the larger one (diam. circa
100 m; 1st c. AD) on the southern
edge of the city.
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