Rovinj (Italian: Rovigno ) is a town of Croatia, in the peninsula of the Istrie. The city is officially bilingual (Italian and Croatian).

Situation

Built on a rocky outcrop on the east coast of the Istrie, Rovinj was an island before being connected to the continent in 1763.

History

Antiquity

A legend tells that Rovinj was rested by the inhabitants of an absorbed city of the name of Cissa. An underwater exploration in 1890 would have even confirmed this legend. Rovinj was founded in IVe century of our era and was colonized by the Slavic ones in VIIe century. It is quoted in Ve century by an inhabitant of Ravenne under the name of " castrum Rubini ". It is at that time that it maintains the close links with Raguse in order to protect its already flourishing trade.

The Middle Ages

After the Roman domination, Rovinj is successively taken by the Hun S, the Ostrogoth S and in 539, by the Byzantine . It counts then nearly 100 inhabitants. It is in 800 that to the coasts the sarcophagus of Holy-Euphémie would have arrived whose relics always rest in its sanctuary, at the top of the city. Piracy increasingly more present in the Adriatic constrained Rovinj to bring closer to the protection of Venice in 1283. It was one of the first cities of Istrie to recognize the Venetian authority.

Modern time

At the XVIIe century, whereas its economy declines in favor of Venice, it became the first stone supplier of construction of Sérénissime thanks to the many careers of the area. She knew a new prosperity then. During this period, the population of the city exploded following the massive arrival of Dalmatian immigrants fleeing Turkish. It became thus the richest city of Istrie of the XVIIIe century to second half of XIXe. It reaches then nearly 10.000 inhabitants. By making Trieste and Rijeca of the free ports and by equipping Pula with an arsenal, the crown of Austria caused the decline of the city. The theater of the city saw the day in 1865 and the hospital was built in 1888

Places and Monuments

• the Holy-Euphémie cathedral of the 8th century altered in 1736 in the Style baroque is at the top of the city. Built on the ruins of a Romance church, it is equipped with a bell-tower of 63 meters, built according to the same model as the bell-tower of the Saint-Marc place to Venice. This bell-tower, (highest of Istrie), asked for 26 years of building site. At its top culminates a Holy-Euphémie statue-wind vane of holding a palm and a wheel, symbol of its martyr. Inside the church, a marble furnace bridge, a statue of Saint-Georges to the dragon, tables of Giovanni Contarini. The relics of holy Euphémie rest in a marble sarcophagus.
• the old city of Rovinj built on a rock eminence testifies to the historical last rich person of the area. One can find there buildings going of the time medieval to the baroque. Three of the seven doors of the city are still on feet. the Arch of Balbi , of style baroque was built in 1680.
• the town of Rovinj also has several old vaults, of which that of Punta transformed while restoring as well as a Romance baptistry of XIIIe century. There exists also a monastery franciscain XVIIIe century having a rich person library.
• Town hall Baroque.

Museums

• the municipal aquarium , open in 1891 is one of oldest of the Mediterranean.

• the museum of the Town of Rovinj , located in a palate of XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries, accommodates temporary exhibitions at the ground floor and in Ier stages. In the second appears a collection of tables of XVIe and XVIIe centuries as well as pieces of furniture of time.

Environment

• With broad of the port, 13 small islands for unquestionable uninhabited strew the Adriatique. They shelter a remarkable flora and a fauna.

Economy and Craft industry

Formerly prosperous city thanks to the Venetian trade, Rovinj today is very centered on tourism.

• For several years, the hotels have developed and the trade adapts to the arrival increasingly more important tourists Italian, German, Autrichiens, Dutch and Swiss. Important commercial streets like the avenue Will square or the Obala bank are devoted in major part to the reception of the tourists. The street Grisia, in the old city, has many restaurants and important workshops of painters and showrooms. The hotels, increasingly more, are located naturally on the seaside, the such hotels Eden (one of oldest), Rovinj, the Adriatic, Park, Assembles it Mulini and Vila Lili.

• Since always, Rovinj is also a center of fishing, today in Net decline because of the development of tourism. The craft industry is omnipresent in the life of the city.

• Some industries persist, the such factory of cement founded in 1852, the wax factory built in 1878, the factory of tobacco built in 1872 as well as the glassmaking and the sardine canning facility going back to 1882.

See too

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