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Porec, Croatia

Julia Tompman

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The city ground plan still shows ancient Roman Castrum structure. The main streets are Decumanus and Cardo Maximus still preserved in original ancient forms. Marafor is Roman square with two temples attached. One of them, erected in the first century AD, is dedicated to the Roman god Neptune with dimensions of 30 m by 11 m. Few houses from the Romanesque period have ere preserved and beautiful Venetian Gothic palaces could be seen here. Originally Gothic, Franciscan church built in 13th century, Istrian Assembly Hall was made into Baroque style in 18th century.

The complex of Euphrasian Basilica, (5th century), for the first time extended in the 6th century under the Byzantine Empire and bishop Euphrasius), is the most important object protected as the monument of the world heritage by UNESCO in 1997.

Between the 12th and the 19th century, the city had the defensive walls, the same kind the better known Dubrovnik still does today.

The local climate is extremely mild, free of the oppressive summer heat. The month of August is the hottest averaging 24 °C in conditions of low humidity while January is the coldest with an average of 5 °C. There is more than 3850 hours of sun insulation a yearwhat is average more than 10 hours of sunshine during the summer days. Sea temperatures are up to 25 °C what is above expected comparing to the coast of southern Croatia where the air temperatures are higher. The average annual rainfall of 920 mm is equally distributed throughout the year. Winds here are bura or bora, bringing the cold and clear weather from the north in winters, "Jugo", (jug=south in Croatian language), warm wind from south bringing rain. The summer breeze blowing from the land to the sea is "Maestral".

Locality is known since the prehistoric times. During the 2nd century BC Roman Castrum was built on tiny peninsula with dimensions just about 400m by 200 m where the very city core is situated. During the reign of the emperor Octavian in the 1st century, it officially became city and was part of the Roman colony Colonia Iulia Parentium. In the 3rd century place already had organized Christian community with early Christian complex of sacral buildings. Basilica was built here in 5th century where bishop Mauro, today's patron of the city already possesses his building.

With the fall of the Roman empire in 476, different rulers and powers governed. First, it was held by Ostrogoths and after 539 was part of the Byzantine Empire. With the end of 6th century, Croats arrived and built first permanent settlement around the year 620. Since 788 it was ruled by Franks. Short independence period followed in the 12th Century and after that it was ruled by the patriarchs of Aquileia. In 1267 it became part of Venicewhose rule lasted for more than five centuries. In late 18th century it was first administered by Napoleon Bonaparte and then became part of Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1797. Starting in 1861, Pore? was the capital of Istria, the seat to a Regional Parliament with schools, administrative and judiciary offices, other services. For a few decades, (1920 - 1943), it possession of Italy and finally, after 10 September 1943 was united with what is today Croatia.