Vodnjan
Encyclopedia
Vodnjan is a town and municipality in Istria county
, Croatia
.
, on elevation of 135 m. It is located at the intersection of the main road Buje
- Pula (M2, E751) and the regional road Vodnjan - Fažana
, as well as on the railroad Divača - Pula.
comprise 55,85%, 1,133 Italians 20.05%, 195 Gypsies 3,45%, 163 Serbs
2,88%, 158 Bosniaks
2,80% and 81 Montenegrins 1.43% of total population (http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv/censuses/Census2001/Popis/H01_02_02/H01_02_02_zup18.html). Montenegrins formed majority in Peroj
village. 73,9% are Catholics, 11,6% Muslims and 4,8% are Orthodox Christians. Many old native residents speak an Istriot language
they call Bumbaro.
The large People Square in the centre of the town denotes the old place where a castle with towers was built probably in the 4th or the 5th century and torn down in 1808. The square is surrounded by important buildings such as the City Hall in the neo-Gothic style, the Benussi house, the Bembo house and the Bradamante palace with its decorated facade and an elegant triphora.
The square in front of St. Blaž Cathedral, the municipal church built on remnants of an early Romanesque church that was torn down in 1781 is another important and frequently visited square. The church was consecrated in 1800 and it maintains numerous artistically and culturally valuable works, such as a custody in bas relief from 1451, wooden figures and paintings made from the 14th to the 18th centuries, works by great masters like Paolo Veneziano, Jacopo Contarini, Jacobello del Fiore, Lazzaro Bastiani, Gaetano Grezler, Avenerio Trevisano, Antonio della Zonca and others.
The sacred art collection is specialized in numerous relics and the bodies of saints, Reliquaries from Murano, habits of the saints and valuable old books. There are many frescos in other churches; St. Margaret Church (the 12th century), Our Lady Traversa Church (the 13th century), St. Kirin Church (the 6th century) or St. Foška Church (the 8-9th century), that are destinations for today's pilgrims.
The famous Bumbar Fiesta is held in Vodnjan (in August), based on the ethnological heritage of the local population -Bumbari. The traditional livestock fair is held every first Saturday in the month, known throughout Istria.
Istria County
Istria County is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula . The area of the county is called Istra in Croatian and Slovene...
, Croatia
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 ...
.
Geography
Vodnjan is situated 10 km north of 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,...
, on elevation of 135 m. It is located at the intersection of the main road Buje
Buje
Buje is a town situated in Istria, Croatia's westernmost peninsula, population 2,979 .Buje was known as the "sentinel of Istria" for its hilltop site located inland from the Adriatic sea. It still commands an excellent panorama. Buje has a rich history; traces of life in the region date back to...
- Pula (M2, E751) and the regional road Vodnjan - Fažana
Fažana
Fažana is a village and a municipality in Istria, Croatia, a small port and fishermen's centre in the south-western part of the western Istrian coast in the Fažana Strait, 8 km northwest of Pula. It is located on a low part of the coast, well protected from the sea by Brijuni - Brioni Islands...
, as well as on the railroad Divača - Pula.
Demographics
According to 2001 census Vodnjan 3406 inhabitants with total municipality population of 5651. Municipality of Vodnjan had one of the most diverse ethnic structures, 3,156 CroatsCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
comprise 55,85%, 1,133 Italians 20.05%, 195 Gypsies 3,45%, 163 Serbs
Serbs
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...
2,88%, 158 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...
2,80% and 81 Montenegrins 1.43% of total population (http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv/censuses/Census2001/Popis/H01_02_02/H01_02_02_zup18.html). Montenegrins formed majority in Peroj
Peroj
Peroj is a village in the Vodnjan municipality on the south-western coast of Istria, currently inhabited by ~400 inhabitants, dating back to the Copper age of prehistory, as testified by a necropolis within the old walls of the town. The town has been settled with families from a variety of origins...
village. 73,9% are Catholics, 11,6% Muslims and 4,8% are Orthodox Christians. Many old native residents speak an Istriot language
Istriot language
Istriot is a Romance language spoken in the Western Region on the coast of the Istrian Peninsula, especially in the towns of Rovinj and Vodnjan , on the upper northern part of the Adriatic Sea, in Croatia.-Classification:...
they call Bumbaro.
History
According to the legend, it developed out of the association of seven villas which were part of the colonial goods of Pula. Vodnjan was known as early as Roman times as Vicus Attinianum and listed in historical records in 932 at the time of Pietro Candiniano, to whom the Istrian towns were giving amphorae of good wine in exchange of protection. Inside the historic nucleus, the town preserved its characteristic Medieval look with atria and narrow streets, irregularly winding among houses, with cobble roads and facades made of cobble stone, old streets still impressively recognizable by their Gothic, Venetian Renaissance and Baroque style and many churches rich with memories and art. Among many, in the old town there is St. Jacob Church or delle Trisiere that was designated as a parochial church as early as 1212, a church that witnessed some important historical events such as the peace agreement with Pula in 1331 and the writing of the Statute of 1492.The large People Square in the centre of the town denotes the old place where a castle with towers was built probably in the 4th or the 5th century and torn down in 1808. The square is surrounded by important buildings such as the City Hall in the neo-Gothic style, the Benussi house, the Bembo house and the Bradamante palace with its decorated facade and an elegant triphora.
The square in front of St. Blaž Cathedral, the municipal church built on remnants of an early Romanesque church that was torn down in 1781 is another important and frequently visited square. The church was consecrated in 1800 and it maintains numerous artistically and culturally valuable works, such as a custody in bas relief from 1451, wooden figures and paintings made from the 14th to the 18th centuries, works by great masters like Paolo Veneziano, Jacopo Contarini, Jacobello del Fiore, Lazzaro Bastiani, Gaetano Grezler, Avenerio Trevisano, Antonio della Zonca and others.
The sacred art collection is specialized in numerous relics and the bodies of saints, Reliquaries from Murano, habits of the saints and valuable old books. There are many frescos in other churches; St. Margaret Church (the 12th century), Our Lady Traversa Church (the 13th century), St. Kirin Church (the 6th century) or St. Foška Church (the 8-9th century), that are destinations for today's pilgrims.
Economy
Chief occupations include farming, viniculture, olive growing, livestock breeding and tourism.The famous Bumbar Fiesta is held in Vodnjan (in August), based on the ethnological heritage of the local population -Bumbari. The traditional livestock fair is held every first Saturday in the month, known throughout Istria.
Towns and villages in municipality
- Gajana / Gaiana
- GaližanaGaližanaGaližana is a village in Croatia....
/ Gallesana - PerojPerojPeroj is a village in the Vodnjan municipality on the south-western coast of Istria, currently inhabited by ~400 inhabitants, dating back to the Copper age of prehistory, as testified by a necropolis within the old walls of the town. The town has been settled with families from a variety of origins...
/ Peroi - BarbarigaBarbariga, CroatiaBarbariga is a tourist village on the south-western coast of Istria, Croatia, on the Barbariga peninsula or Punta Cissana . It is located 22 km northwest of Pula, northwest of Fažana and Vodnjan and southwest of Bale. Chief occupations include farming , fishing and tourism...