Izola
Encyclopedia
Izola is an old fishing city
and a municipality
in southwestern Slovenia
on the Adriatic
coast of the Istrian peninsula
. Its name originates from the Italian
Isola, which means island.
An ancient Roman
port and settlement known as Haliaetum
stood to the southwest of the present town as early as the 2nd century BC. The town of Izola was established on a small island by refugees from Aquileia
in the 7th century . The coastal areas of Istria came under Venetian
influence in the 9th century. The settlement was first mentioned in writing as Insula in a Venetian document entitled Liber albus in 932AD. It became definitely the territory of the Republic of Venice
in 1267, and the centuries of Venetian rule left a strong and enduring mark on the region. The Venetian part of the peninsula passed to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in 1797 with the Treaty of Campo Formio
, until the period of Napoleonic rule from 1805 to 1813 when Istria became part of the Illyrian provinces
of the Napoleonic Empire. After this short period, during which Izola's walls were torn down and used to fill in the channel that separated the island from the mainland, the newly established Austrian Empire
ruled Istria until November 1918. Then Istria became part of the Kingdom of Italy
, until Italian capitulation in September 1943, whereupon control passed to Germany. Izola was liberated by a naval unit from Koper at the end of April 1945. After the end of World War II
, Izola was part of Zone B of the provisionally independent Free Territory of Trieste
; after the de facto
dissolution of the Free Territory in 1954 it was incorporated into Slovenia
, then a part of Yugoslavia
. The newly defined Italo-Yugoslav border
saw the migration of many people from one side to the other. In Izola's case, many Italian speakers chose to leave, and in their place Slovenian-speaking people from neighbouring villages settled in the town.
In 1820, a thermal spring was discovered in Izola, leading to the town's earliest forms of tourism. Between 1902 and 1935 the Parenzana
, a narrow-gauge railway line connected the town to Trieste
and Poreč
(known as Parenzo until 1947). Today Izola has many hotels near the sea, a famous discothèque (Embassy of Gavioli) Ambasada Gavioli
, many art galleries, summer concerts, street performances and a movie festival.
In the future an island is planned to be constructed between Izola and Koper. Also a tunnel is under construction which will connect these two cities.
(562) with other smaller minorities.
Population by mother language, census 2002
In addition to Izola town, the broader municipality includes the villages of Baredi
, Cetore
, Dobrava
, Jagodje
, Korte, Malija
, Nožed
, Šared
.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in southwestern Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
on the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
coast of the Istrian peninsula
Slovenian Istria
Slovenian Istria often called Obala in Slovene is a region in southwest of Slovenia. It comprises the northern part of the Istrian peninsula, and it is part of the wider geographical-historical region known as the Slovenian Littoral . Its largest urban center is Koper. Other larger settlements...
. Its name originates from the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
Isola, which means island.
History
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
port and settlement known as Haliaetum
Haliaetum
Haliaetum was a Roman port on the northern Adriatic coast of the Istrian peninsula.The port was first established around 178-177BC following fierce resistance by the Histri, the indigenous population. The site of the port is at Valižan on Simonov zaliv to the southwest of the modern town of Izola...
stood to the southwest of the present town as early as the 2nd century BC. The town of Izola was established on a small island by refugees from Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
in the 7th century . The coastal areas of Istria came under Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
influence in the 9th century. The settlement was first mentioned in writing as Insula in a Venetian document entitled Liber albus in 932AD. It became definitely the territory of the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
in 1267, and the centuries of Venetian rule left a strong and enduring mark on the region. The Venetian part of the peninsula passed to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in 1797 with the Treaty of Campo Formio
Treaty of Campo Formio
The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on 18 October 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of revolutionary France and the Austrian monarchy...
, until the period of Napoleonic rule from 1805 to 1813 when Istria became part of the Illyrian provinces
Illyrian provinces
The Illyrian Provinces was an autonomous province of the Napoleonic French Empire on the north and east coasts of the Adriatic Sea between 1809 and 1816. Its capital was established at Laybach...
of the Napoleonic Empire. After this short period, during which Izola's walls were torn down and used to fill in the channel that separated the island from the mainland, the newly established Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
ruled Istria until November 1918. Then Istria became part of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, until Italian capitulation in September 1943, whereupon control passed to Germany. Izola was liberated by a naval unit from Koper at the end of April 1945. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Izola was part of Zone B of the provisionally independent Free Territory of Trieste
Free Territory of Trieste
The Free Territory of Trieste was to be a city-state situated in Central Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, created by the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath of World War II and provisionally administered by an appointed military governor commanding the peacekeeping United...
; after the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
dissolution of the Free Territory in 1954 it was incorporated into Slovenia
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1990...
, then a part of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. The newly defined Italo-Yugoslav border
Free Territory of Trieste
The Free Territory of Trieste was to be a city-state situated in Central Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, created by the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath of World War II and provisionally administered by an appointed military governor commanding the peacekeeping United...
saw the migration of many people from one side to the other. In Izola's case, many Italian speakers chose to leave, and in their place Slovenian-speaking people from neighbouring villages settled in the town.
In 1820, a thermal spring was discovered in Izola, leading to the town's earliest forms of tourism. Between 1902 and 1935 the Parenzana
Parenzana
The Parenzana or Porečanka is one of the nicknames of a defunct narrow gauge railway between Trieste and Poreč , in present day Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.- Name :When constructed, the railway's official...
, a narrow-gauge railway line connected the town to Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
and Poreč
Porec
Poreč is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997....
(known as Parenzo until 1947). Today Izola has many hotels near the sea, a famous discothèque (Embassy of Gavioli) Ambasada Gavioli
Ambasada Gavioli
The Ambasada Gavioli is a Slovenian night club located in Izola, and named after its architect Mr. Gavioli. It has a floor space of 1,600 m2 and a capacity of 2,500 guests....
, many art galleries, summer concerts, street performances and a movie festival.
In the future an island is planned to be constructed between Izola and Koper. Also a tunnel is under construction which will connect these two cities.
Population
The municipality has 14,549 inhabitants. There are marginally more females (7,385) than males (7,164). By mother tongue, they identify themselves as Slovenes (10,059), Croatians (1,199), Italians (620) and Serbo-CroatiansSerbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
(562) with other smaller minorities.
Population by mother language, census 2002
- Slovene 10,059 (69.14%)
- CroatianCroatian languageCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
1,199 (8.24%) - ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
620 (4.26%) - Serbo-CroatianSerbo-Croatian languageSerbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
562 (3.86%) - BosnianBosnian languageBosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
537 (3.69%) - SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
385 (2,65%) - MacedonianMacedonian languageMacedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
124 (0.85%) - AlbanianAlbanian languageAlbanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
93 (0.64%) - HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
19 (0.13%) - GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
10 (0.07%) - Others and Unknown 941 (6.47%)
- Total 14,549
Municipality
The municipality of Izola-Isola is officially bilingual, with both Slovene and Italian as official languagesIn addition to Izola town, the broader municipality includes the villages of Baredi
Baredi
Baredi is a settlement in the Municipality of Izola in the Littoral region of Slovenia.- External links :*...
, Cetore
Cetore
Cetore is a small village in the Izola Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.- External links :*...
, Dobrava
Dobrava, Izola
Dobrava is a settlement on the Adriatic coast in the Izola Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.- External links :*...
, Jagodje
Jagodje
Jagodje is a settlement on the Adriatic coast in the Izola Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia. It is an urbanized settlement right next to the town of Izola and was created from dispersed farmsteads in the area known as Jagodje and the small settlements of Kane , Kanola , Kažanova ,...
, Korte, Malija
Malija
Malija is a village in the Izola Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.The local church is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and was built in 1932.-External links:*...
, Nožed
Nožed
Nožed is a small settlement in the Izola Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.-External links:*...
, Šared
Šared
Šared is a village in the Municipality of Izola in the Littoral region of Slovenia.The local church, built outside the settlement and now in a ruinous state, is dedicated to Saint James.-External links:*...
.
Notable people
- birthplace of the boxing champion Nino Benvenuti
- geographer and cartographer Pietro Coppo worked in Izola
- olimpic champion Vasilij ŽbogarVasilij ŽbogarVasilij Žbogar , is a Slovenian sailor.Žbogar competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal and in the 2008 Summer Olympic, where he won a silver medal, both of them in laser class...
External links
- Izola, official page of municipality (in Slovene and Italian)
- Izola website in English
- Izola on Geopedia