Rovinj
Encyclopedia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
situated on the north Adriatic Sea
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...
with a population of 13,562 (2007). It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port. Istriot, a Romance language once widely spoken in this part of Istria, is still spoken by part of the residents (also called Rovignese by those who speak it here). There is a centre of History Research which is an institution of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
.
Geography
Rovinj is one of nine towns in IstriaIstria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
n County. The climate is Mediterranean. The average temperature is 4.8 °C (40.6 °F) in January and 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) in July. The average annual temperature is 16 °C (60.8 °F).
Sea temperature is more than 20 °C (68 °F) from the middle of June to the middle of September. The average annual sea temperature is 16.6 °C (61.9 °F).
From the middle of May to the middle of September the sun shines more than 10 hours a day.
The rainfall averages 941 mm a year. The average humidity is 72%. Vegetation is subtropical.
Originally the peninsula on which the city lies was an island, separated from the mainland by a channel. The latter was filled in 1763. Rovinj Archipelago includes 22 islets.
History
Rovinj was already a settlement of Illyrian tribes before being captured by the RomansAncient 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....
, who called it Arupinium or Mons Rubineus, and later Ruginium and Ruvinium. Built on an island close to the coast, it was connected with the mainland in 1763 by filling in the channel.
It became part of the Byzantine
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
empire, then in the sixth century part of the Exarchate of Ravenna
Exarchate of Ravenna
The Exarchate of Ravenna or of Italy was a centre of Byzantine power in Italy, from the end of the 6th century to 751, when the last exarch was put to death by the Lombards.-Introduction:...
and in 788 part of the Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
empire. Then it came under the rule of different feudal lords during several centuries. From 1209 it was ruled by the Aquileian patriarch.
It was from 1283 to 1797 one of the most important towns of Istria under 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...
. The city was fortified by two rows of walls with three town gates. The remaining town walls date from this period. Close to the pier one can find the old town gate Balbi's Arch
Balbi's Arch
Balbi's Arch, in Rovinj, Croatia, dates from the 17th century. The arch leads to Grisia Street. On one side, there is the carved head of a Turk while on the other side is the carved head of a Venetian. It stands on the site of the old town gate....
, dating from 1680, and a late-Renaissance clock tower. The city got its statutes in 1531.
After the fall of Venice and the Napoleonic
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
parenthesis, Rovinj was part of the 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...
until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. According to the last Austrian census in 1911, 97,8% of the population was Italian speaking. Then it belonged to Italy from 1918 to 1947, when it was ceded to SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia. During that period much of the Italian inhabitants left the city.
Population
There are around 15,000 people living in Rovinj. 76.31% are Croats, with around 11,500 citizens. Ethnic minorities include 2,400 Italians (16%), SerbsSerbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(3.51%), Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
(2.37%) and Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
(1.81%).
City government
The City Assembly is composed of 19 representatives, coming from the following political parties:- Istrian Democratic AssemblyIstrian Democratic AssemblyThe Istrian Democratic Assembly is a Croatian regional and social liberal political party in Istria. The hyphenated abbreviation IDS-DDI is most commonly used....
(IDS) 13 - Independent 3
- Social Democratic Party of CroatiaSocial Democratic Party of CroatiaSocial Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia...
(SDP) 2 - Croatian Democratic UnionCroatian Democratic UnionThe Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ) 1
Entertainment and Nightlife
The local entertainment hub is Monvi, a multimedia centre that includes a night club, an open-air theatre, a number of disco bars, a Mexican restaurant and a pizzeria. It is very popular with locals that travel from neighbouring towns and cities to sample some of its entertainment offerings. Monvi regularly hosts concerts and events with big names from the Croatian popular music scene or international house and techno DJs. Outside of Monvi, nightlife is primarily relegated to coffee bars or local pub-type bars. In the summer months, the city is buzzing with young people although it becomes quiet in the winter, with most bars closing early and Monvi centre being open only on certain weekends.The busiest area is the very centre of Rovinj, extending from the main bus station toward the old part of town. It is where most bars are located and where locals hang out. Popular bars among young locals are La Tabacheina, Buzz and Sax, the latter sharing an extensive open air terrace on the waterfront with a number of surrounding bars overlooking the pier that in the Summer evenings becomes one of the busiest places in town.
Rovinj's waterfront, called Riva, runs alongside the Adriatic sea bay largely parallel to Carrera street. It is lined with ice cream parlors, bars and restaurants.
Every August, Rovinj hosts Grisia, a popular open air art fair wherein local and international artists exhibit their work on the cobbled streets of Grisia.
Also in August, usually on the last weekend, the city hosts Rovinj Night, a popular open air Summer celebration with local food offerings, beverage and sweet stands, live music over multiple stages and a large fireworks display at midnight.
Shopping
The main thoroughfare is Carrera, located in the centre of downtown. The street is lined with shops, boutiques and bars. The street has recently been fully pedestrianised. In the old city centre and in the centre of Rovinj around Carrera there are plenty of different shops, boutiques, jeweller’s shops, souvenir shops and art galleries. A new shopping center is being built nearby city of PorečPorec
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....
, Histria Mall, and is expected to be finished by the end of year 2010.
The city has a food market open year-round, located at the edges of the historic part of town near Valdibora square.
Rovinj is also home to a number of big box retailers, namely Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
, Plodine and Valalta.
Tourism
According to the data of the Tourist Association of the Istrian County, Rovinj is the second leading destination in terms of the number of realized overnights. It is also unofficially considered one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic coast. The most numerous visitors to the city of Rovinj are Italians, Germans, Austrians, Dutch and British. The two closest airports are PulaPula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
and Trieste. Since the recent introduction of low cost flights from the UK to Trieste, Treviso, Venice and Pula the number of UK visitors has increased dramatically. In the Summer season, there is a direct high speed ferry link between Venice and Rovinj, facilitating the transfer of visitors flying into Marco Polo airport to the town of Rovinj. High speed weekly sealinks to the Port of Ravenna
Port of Ravenna
The Port of Ravenna, is an Italian seaport on the North Adriatic Sea in Ravenna, ItalyThe coordinates for this canal port are 44° 29’ N and 12° 17’ Efor Marina di Ravenna sideWP2 44° 29’,58 N 12° 17’,48 EWP3 44° 29’,42 N 12° 17’,43 E...
and Cesenatico
Cesenatico
Cesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 km south of Ravenna...
are also available in the summer.
The high tourist season runs from May until early September.
There are numerous hotels in the town itself, and beds are abundant though usually overbooked in the Summer months. Accommodation ranges from private rooms or apartments to bungalows, camping sites and 2 to 4 star hotels. The city's first and only 5-star boutique hotel, Hotel Monte Mulini, opened recently.
In the well-indented coastal area with a number of small bays, hidden within dense vegetation, you will often come across naturists. Although the beaches are not specified as naturist, many people choose to enjoy the sea and the sun in this way with a reserved toleration of other swimmers.
To the south side of the busy harbour in Rovinj, there is Zlatni Rt - Punta Corrente parkland, with many meandering paths through forests to rocky and pebble beaches. Well-kept paths, suitable for cycling as well, go all the way to Palud ornithological reserve 9 miles south of Rovinj. In this part you will also find large number of swimming beaches. The beaches in western part of this area are very frequented. To find more privacy and fewer people, take the road to the tip of Skaraba Cape where you will find a beautiful beach with flat stones suitable for sunbathing.
Natural landmarks and sights
- Church of S. Eufemia
- Zlatni Rt Forest Park
- The Rovinj islands and mainland - These natural sights have been described as "outstanding scenic wonders," because of the pristine beauty of the indented coastline and its forests, consisting of holm oak and Alpine pine trees. This area "of outstanding natural beauty" extends from St. Ivan promontory to Barbariga, including all the Rovinj islands and the mainland 500 metres from the shore line. The Rovinj archipelago consists of 19 islands.
- Limska Draga FjordLim (Croatia)The Lim bay and valley is a peculiar geographic feature found near Rovinj and Vrsar on the western coast of Istria, south of Poreč, Croatia. The name comes from the Latin limes for "limit", referring to the landform's position at the border of two Roman provinces: Dalmatia and Italia.-Geography:The...
- The Palud marsh and the Dvije Sestrice Islands - The Dvije Sestrice (Two Sisters) islands are a nesting site for seagulls. Because of its thick holm oak forest the Gustinja promontory is regarded as "a forest vegetation reserve."
- Rovinj Town Museum
Transportation
The preferred means of transport for getting around Rovinj is by car. Rovinj is well-connected with the rest of Istria and with larger cities such as Trieste, RijekaRijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Ljubljana and Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
.
The closest commercial international airports are Pula (20 miles), Trieste-Ronchi (70 miles) and Rijeka-Krk (80 miles). Car rental is available at each of the airports.
Rovinj is served by the Kanfanar
Kanfanar
Kanfanar is a municipality in the central part of Istria, Croatia, 20 km northeast of Rovinj, on the edge of the Lim Cove, on the open limestone plain of Istria. The elevation is 281 m.Chief occupations are farming and livestock breeding...
railway station (10 miles), which connects the region to Rijeka. However, travelling by bus is preferred to travelling by train due to the limited connections and schedules. The main bus station is located at the north-east end of Carrera.
Primary Schools
- Juraj Dobrila - 8 year Croatian primary school.
- Vladimir Nazor - 8 year Croatian primary school located in the old part of town just above Carrera road.
- Bernardo Benussi - Scuola Elementare Italiana - 8 year Italian primary school.
Secondary Schools
- Zvane Črnje - Croatian secondary (13-18) school.
- Strukovna Škola Eugena Kumičića - Croatian secondary (13-18) school for professional development.
- Scuola Media Superiore Italiana Rovigno (SMSIR) - Italian secondary school.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Rovinj is twinned with: AdriaAdria
Adria is a town and comune in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(since 1982) Camaiore
Camaiore
Camaiore is a town and comune of 31,503 inhabitants within the province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. It stretches from the Alps to the east, to the plains and the coast of Versilia to the west.-Morphology:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(since 1990) Leonberg
Leonberg
Leonberg is a town in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg about 10 miles to the west of Stuttgart, the state capital. Approximately 45,000 people live in Leonberg, making it the third biggest borough in the rural district of Böblingen .Leonberg is most famous for its picturesque market...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(since 1990)