History of Pula and Croatia

For those who love history, this is for you!

This section includes notes of what people have told me and what I've read on the Information Kiosks at the historical monuments around Pula. I'll begin with the Greeks and end with modern day events.

The first mention of Pula was in the 3^rd century BC in the work of Greek poets Callimachus and Lycophron in the mythological story of Jason and Medea.

The oldest standing Roman monument, the Hercules Gate, was built in 45 BC.

In 29-27 BC, the Triumphal Arch of the Sergius family was erected as a symbol of the victory at Actium (31 BC).

The 6^th largest amphitheater in the world was built in Pula in the 1^st century BC. 23,000 spectators could be seated in this arena. 

 

The Roman Amphitheater was made using limestone quarried here in Pula. The other Roman structures appear to be made of the same limestone.

Augustus’ Temple was built between 2 BC and 14 AD and is still standing!

The Temple of Augustus, Diana’s Temple, The Capital, and the Basilica were all built around the Forum, which was an important venue in the social life of the inhabitants of Roman towns and cities like Pula. All of these structures have not survived to the present day here in Pula but the Temple of Augustus is still standing, along with the Amphitheater, the Hercules Gate, some of the original town wall, and the Triumphal Arch of Sergeii.

Pula and the Istrian peninsula were part of the Western Roman Empire, under the rule of the Ostrogots, and then the Eastern Roman Empire in 538. At the end of the 6^th century, Croats started to conquer the territory.

And then in 788 Istria became part of the empire of Charles the Great.

Since Roman times, the Istria Peninsula of Croatia has been famous for olive oils and wines, both red and white. At the Green Market today, you can taste different kinds of olive oils  and honey and decide which one you want to purchase!

In 1150, Istria became part of Venice; rose up against Venice in 1195 and lost. Once again it became part of Venice.

By 1294 the Sergius family ruled over Pula until their dethronement in 1331 when Pula again came under the control of Venice.

In 1379 Pula was taken and destroyed by the Genoese.

In 1630 there were only 300 inhabitants of Pula – thanks to the plague epidemic that swept through Europe.

Pula is almost halfway from the North Pole to the Equator. This ensures a very agreeable climate in the area. Pula lies on seven hills and is often called Little Rome. The names of these hills are Monte Zaro, Monte Serpente, Monte Ghiro, Monte Magno, Monte Paradiso, Monte Rizzi and Monte Vidal.

After the collapse of Venice in 1799, Pula came under Austrian rule.

 

Napolean’s province of Illiricum, in 1805, included the Istrian peninsula.  And 8 years later, Istria became part of Austria again.

Pula was once totally surrounded by walls and access was via ten gates. The walls became old and unnecessary and at the beginning of the 19th century they were pulled down, although the walls between the Twin Gates and the Giardini square were left and have been preserved. 

In 1850 Pula became the major Austrian Navy port and 6 years later, the military shipyard/arsenal, Uljanik, was opened by Franz Joseph, the Austro-Hungarian Emperor.   After a period of decline, the Uljanik Shipyard is once again building ships today!

The Hydrographic Institute and observatory was built in 1869.

In 1870, the first naval museum in the world was founded in Pula.

In 1903-1904, James Joyce, the Irish writer and Nobel Prize winner, spent 6 months in Pula teaching English.

By 1904, electric driven trams were in service!

The first newspaper Croatian, Hrvatski list, was published in Pula in 1915.

At the end of the First World War, Pula fell under Italian occupation.

In 1945, at the end of World War Two, Istria became part of Croatia’s territory but Pula was placed under Anglo-American military command.

In 1947 Pula joined the rest of the Istrian peninsula in the Republic of Croatia.

1n 1954, the first review of a Croatian movie took place in Pula Arena.

Radio station Pula began broadcasting in 1961.

After the break-up of Yugoslavia, Pula and the Istrian peninsula became part of the independent Croatian state.

In 2001, the population of Pula was 58,594.   I read somewhere on the internet that the population is now close to 100,000 – but don’t really know if that’s accurate! 

One of the professors at the University of Pula has an interesting story about his mother:  She was born in Austria, married in Italy, had a baby in Yugoslavia and died in Croatia – all without leaving her home town!