Take a walk with us through the old core of the millennial city of Poreč

Halfway between Rovinj and Novigrad, on the beautiful west coast Istria, the millennial city is located PorecThe city has stood here since the second millennium BC, when fortresses were built on easily defensible heights. hillfort settlements Picuga i the top of the Holy Angel. Later ancient Greek records from the 6th century BC tell of a small fishing village which the Romans - after conquering the local Histrians - would turn into their colony. July Parentium.

Poreč is a millennial city
Photo source: Tourist board of the city of Poreč

The old core of Poreč with each of its stones testifies to a history built over 2000 years. The peninsula was covered by ancient masters with a proper network of streets, and this layout has been largely preserved to this day, and the two longest streets have preserved their ancient names to this day - Decumanus and Cardo maximus.

On the square Marathon in the ancient times of the reign of Emperor Augustus, there were two temples - one dedicated to the god Mars, the other to Neptune. This is probably where the name Marafora - Square of Mars comes from. In ancient times, the Marafor was a central square, a forum, with important public and administrative buildings, and part of the original pavement of the Marafor and the foundations of the buildings can still be seen today on the northwest side of the square.

No other work of human labor in Croatia is breathtaking Euphrasian Basilica. This the most valuable cultural heritage of Poreč, was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997, and the basilica is the only intact preserved monument from that time in the world. Poreč has had a bishop since the time of the persecution of Christians in the 3rd century, and the first Poreč bishop, Moor, was a victim of one of the persecutions by the Roman authorities. After his martyrdom, he was proclaimed the patron saint of the city, and an early Christian cathedral was built in the 4th century on the site where he suffered his martyrdom.

Euphrasian Basilica, Poreč
Photo source: Tourist board of the city of Poreč

In the same place, in the 6th century, during the time of Bishop Euphrasius, the Basilica was built, which includes the atrium, the baptistery, the bishop's palace, mosaics and the remains of sacred buildings from the 3rd to 4th centuries. The mosaics with which the interior and facade of the church are painted are considered a valuable legacy of Byzantine art, and their depictions and inscriptions bear witness to the reign of Bishop Euphrasius.

On the Decumanus itself, on a prominent corner with Cardo Maximus, stands Gothic Palace Zucatto of 1473. Its sumptuous stone façade is built in the style of floral gothic. The palace has two floors, and its facade is made of Korcula stone, and recognizable by its decorated single and triple window openings. Today, the palace houses a gallery, and a block of relatively well-preserved Gothic houses stretches along both streets.

Gothic palace of Zucatto
Gothic Zuccato Palace, source: Poreč Tourist Board

Spectacular Pentagonal tower on Decamanus had it built in 1447 by the then mayor Nicolò Lion on the foundations of an earlier, medieval tower, which was built on the foundations of an even older building dating back to ancient times. Today, all three layers of the tower are visible, because after detailed research at the end of the 20th century, it was decided to present the stratification of this building. Today, the tower houses a restaurant built in accordance with strict conservation requirements, whose terrace at the top of the tower offers an unforgettable view at sunset.

pentagonal tower poreč
Pentagonal tower, source: Poreč Tourist Board

Poreč Round ball it was built in 1475, and the construction order was given by the then mayor Pietro de Mula. After the renovation, it was also turned into a catering facility; from the observatory which is now in the function of the terrace, there is a view of the waterfront and the Island of St. Nicholas. Inside the tower there are preserved openings of loopholes and original steep stone stairs.

Another interesting building is House of two saints – a small, rustic Renaissance town house from the 15th century, named after the reliefs of two saints that adorn its facade. The reliefs are in the Suromanic style, so it is assumed that they were probably transferred from some other building.

old town of Poreč
Old Town Poreč, photo source: Poreč Tourist Board

Baroque palace from 1719 is now the seat of the Poreč Regional Museum. The Regional Museum preserves valuable archaeological finds from Poreč and the surrounding area – from prehistory to modern times – as well as important historical documents and a historical library.

Source and photo: Poreč Tourist Board

LAST RELEASES

Sign up for our newsletter

A weekly dose of the best tourist stories. The newsletter gives you an insight into the most important events and topics that were written about on the turistickeprice.hr portal

Your e-mail address will be safely stored and used only for the purpose of the site turistickeprice.hr and will not be forwarded to third parties.