Evidence of the presence ofHomo erectus one million years ago has been found in the cave of Šandalja near Pula.[5] Pottery from theNeolithic period (6000–2000 BC), indicatinghuman settlement, has been found around Pula. In theBronze Age (1800–1000 BC), a new type of settlement appeared in Istria, called 'gradine', or hill-top fortifications.[6] Many late Bronze Age bone objects, such as tools for smoothing and drilling, sewing needles, as well as spiral bronze pendants, have been found in the area around Pula.[7] The type of materials found in Bronze Age sites in Istria connects these with sites along the Danube.[7] The inhabitants of Istria in the Bronze Age are known as Proto Illyrians.[7]
Greek pottery and a part of a statue ofApollo have been found, attesting to the presence or influence ofGreek culture.[8] Greek tradition attributed the foundation ofPolai to theColchians, mentioned in the context of the story ofJason andMedea, who had stolen theGolden Fleece. The Colchians, who had chased Jason into the northern Adriatic, were unable to catch him and ended up settling in a place they calledPolai, signifying "city of refuge".[9]
In classical antiquity, it was inhabited by theHistri,[10] aVenetic orIllyrian tribe.Strabo,Pomponius Mela andLycophron wrote that it was inhabited byColchians.[11][12][13]TheIstrian peninsula was conquered by the Romans in 177 BC,[10] starting a period of Romanization. The town was elevated to colonial rank between 46 and 45 BC as the tenth region of the lateRoman Republic, underJulius Caesar.[10][14] During that time the town grew and had at its zenith a population of about 30,000. It became a significant Roman port with a large surrounding area under its jurisdiction.
During the civil war of 42 BC of the triumvirate ofOctavian,Mark Antony andLepidus against Caesar's assassinsBrutus andCassius, the town took the side of Cassius, since the town had been founded byCassius Longinus, brother of Cassius. After Octavian's victory, the town was demolished. It was soon rebuilt at the request of Octavian's daughter Iulia and was then calledColonia Pietas Iulia Pola Pollentia Herculanea. The colony was part ofVenetia et Histria, a region ofRoman Italy. Great classical constructions were built of which a few remain.
A greatamphitheatre,Pula Arena, was constructed between 27 BC and 68 AD,[15] much of it still standing to this day. The Romans also supplied the city with water and sewage systems. They fortified the city with a wall with ten gates. A few of these gates remain: the triumphalArch of the Sergii, the Gate of Hercules (in which the names of the founders of the city are engraved), and the Twin Gates. During the reign of the emperorSeptimius Severus the name of the town was changed to "Res Publica Polensis". The town was the site of an execution of two reigningcaesares,Crispus in 326 AD andConstantius Gallus in 354 AD. In 425 AD the town became the centre of a diocese, attested by the remains of foundations of a few religious buildings.[10]
From 788 onwards, Pula was ruled by theFrankish Empire underCharlemagne, with the introduction of thefeudal system.[17][18][19] Under the Franks it was part of theKingdom of Italy. Pula became the seat of the elective counts of Istria until 1077. The town was taken in 1148 by the Venetians and in 1150 Pula swore allegiance to theRepublic of Venice, thus becoming a Venetian possession. For centuries thereafter, the city's fate and fortunes were tied to those of Venetian power. It was conquered by thePisans in 1192 but soon reconquered by the Venetians.[20]
In 1238Pope Gregory IX formed an alliance between Genoa and Venice against the Empire, and consequently against Pisa too. As Pula had sided with the Pisans, the city was sacked by the Venetians in 1243. It was destroyed again in 1267 and again in 1397 when theGenoese defeated the Venetians in a naval battle. Pula then slowly went into decline. This decay was accelerated by the infighting of local families: the ancient Roman Sergi family and the Ionotasi (1258–1271) and the clash between Venice and Genoa for the control of the city and its harbour (late 13th and 14th centuries). In 1291, by the Peace of Treviso, Patriarch Raimondo della Torre gained the city as part of thesecular realm of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, only to lose it to Venice in 1331, which then held it until its downfall in 1797.
Pula is mentioned by the Italian poetDante Alighieri, who had visited Pula, in theDivine Comedy: "Sì come a Pola, presso del Carnaro, ch'Italia chiude e i suoi termini bagna" or "As Pola, along theQuarnero, that marks the end of Italy and bathes its boundaries".
TheVenetians took over Pula in 1331 and would rule the city until 1797. During the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, Pula was attacked and occupied by the Genoese, the Hungarian army and the Habsburgs; several outlying medieval settlements and towns were destroyed. In addition to war, theplague,malaria andtyphoid ravaged the city. By the 1750s there were only 3,000 inhabitants left in ancient city, an area now covered with weeds and ivy.[21]
In 1813, Pola (with Istria) came back to theAustrian Empire. Under thecompromise of 1867, the town – under the original Italian name, Pola – remained inAustria-Hungary until the latter's defeat and dissolution in 1918.[22] Under Austrian rule, Pola regained prosperity. Its largenatural harbour became Austria's main naval base and a major shipbuilding centre.[23][24] It was chosen for the base in 1859 byHans Birch Dahlerup, a Danish admiral in the service of Austria.[21] Subsequently, Pola grew from a fading provincial town into an industrial city. The island of Brioni (in Croatian renamedBrijuni) to the North West of Pola became the summer vacation resort of Austria'sHabsburgroyal family. In World War I, the port was the main base for Austro-Hungariandreadnoughts and other naval forces of the Empire.[23] During this period many inhabitants were Italian speaking. The 1910 Austrian census recorded a city population of 58,562 (45.8% Italian speaking; 15.2% Croatian, the rest were mostly German-speaking military).[25]
Following the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918, Pola and the whole of Istria, except the territory of Castua/Kastav, went to Italy.[24] Pola became the capital of theProvince of Pola. The decline in population after World War I was mainly due to economic difficulties caused by the withdrawal of Austro-Hungarian military and bureaucratic facilities and the dismissal of workers from the shipyard.[26] Under theItalian Fascist government ofBenito Mussolini, non-Italians, especially Croatian residents who came to Pola underAustro-Hungarian rule, faced stringent political and cultural repression because they had now to integrate themselves into the Kingdom of Italy and learn the Italian language. Many left the city and went back to the newly createdYugoslavia. After the collapse of Fascist Italy in 1943, the city was occupied by the GermanWehrmacht and remained a base for U-boats. Consequently, the city was subjected to repeated Allied bombing from 1942 to 1944. In the last phase of the war, Pola saw the arrest, deportation, and execution of people suspected of aiding the Axis, by the partisans who together with the Yugoslav communists liberated but also killed many soldiers and civilians, in the first episodes of what would have been named, later on, theFoibe massacres.[citation needed]
Pula Riviera in 1904
Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, Sailors in the Harbor of Pola, pastel on paper, c. 1916. TheJack Daulton Collection, Los Altos Hills, California.
Austro-Hungarian dreadnoughts at Pola
Flag in use during the Italian rule of the city[27]
Coat of arms in use during the Italian rule of the city
AfterWorld War II, theIstrian Italians of Pula left Yugoslavia towards Italy (Istrian-Dalmatian exodus).[28] For two years after 1945, Pola was administered by theAllied Military Government for Occupied Territories (AMG). Pola formed an enclave within south Istria that was administered by Yugoslavia since 1945 with the help of Churchill. The AMG was occupied by a company of the United States 351st Infantry and aBritish battalion of the 24thGuards Brigade. Istria was partitioned into occupation zones until the region became officially united with theFederal People's Republic of Yugoslavia on 15 September 1947, under terms of theParis Peace Treaties. The city became part of thePeople's Republic of Croatia, a federal state withinFPR Yugoslavia, upon the ratification of the Paris Peace Treaties on 15 September 1947 – which also created theFree Territory of Trieste. Initially, Pola's population of 45,000 was largely made up of ethnic Italians, however, between December 1946 and September 1947, the vast majority of Italians fled to Italy.[citation needed] Subsequently, the city's Croatian name, Pula, became the official name. Today the city of Pula or Pola is officially bilingual, Croatian and Italian, hence both Pula and Pola are official names.[29]: 3 Since the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991, Pula has been part of theRepublic of Croatia.[citation needed]
The city lies on and beneath seven hills on the inner part of a wide gulf and a naturally well-protected port (depth up to 38 m (125 ft)) open to the northwest with two entrances: from the sea and through Fažana channel.
Today, Pula's geographical area amounts to 5,165 ha (12,760 acres), 4,159 ha (10,280 acres)[30] on land and 1,015 ha (2,510 acres) at sea, bounded from the north by islands Sv. Jerolim and Kozada, city areas Štinjan/Stignano, Veli Vrh/Monte Grande and Sianna with its 'Kaiserwald' forest; from the east area Monteserpo, Valmade, Busoler and Valdebek; from the south with the old gas works, commercial port Veruda and island Veruda; and from the west Verudela, Lungomare and Musil.
Protected from the north by the mountain chain ofAlps as well the inner highland, theclimate ishumid subtropical (Köppen climate classification:Cfa), with the highestair temperature averaging 23 °C (73 °F) during July and August and lowest averaging 6 °C (43 °F), in January and February. Summers are usually quite hot, although some unusual heat wave patterns are also common.[clarification needed]
Normally, it is humid. Temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F) last for more than 240 days a year. There are two different kinds of winds here – thebora brings cold and clear weather from the north in winter, and the southernSirocco bringing rain in summer.[31] The 'Maestral' is a summer breeze blowing from the inland to the sea.
Like the rest of the region Pula is known for its mild climate and tame sea with an average of sunny days of 2,316 hours per year or 6.3 hours a day, with an average air temperature of 13.7 °C (56.7 °F)[32] (6.1 °C (43.0 °F) in February to 26.4 °C (79.5 °F) in July and August) and sea temperature from 7 °C (45 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F).[33][34][35]
Since records began in 1963, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station was 39.0 °C (102.2 °F), on 5 August 2017.[36] The coldest temperature was −9.0 °C (15.8 °F), on both 3 January 1979 and 3 February 1991.[37]
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2021,DZS
Pula is the largest city inIstria County, with ametropolitan area of 90,000 people.[citation needed] The city itself has 57,460 residents (census 2011),[39] while the metropolitan area includesBarban/Barbana (2,802 residents),Fažana/Fasana (3,050 residents),Ližnjan/Lisignano (2,945 residents),Marčana/Marzana (3,903 residents),Medulin/Medolino (6,004 residents),Svetvinčenat/Sanvicenti (2,218 residents) andVodnjan/Dignano (5,651 residents). Its population density is 1,093.27/km2 (2,831.6/sq mi), ranking Pula fifth in Croatia.
In 1910 Pula had a total of 58,562 inhabitants, of which 45.8% wereIstrian Italians, 15.2% Croatians, while the rest of the population was mostly ethnic Germans.[40] The number of Istrian Italians in Pula decreased drastically following theIstrian-Dalmatian exodus, which occurred from 1943 to 1960.
Itsbirth rate is 1.795 per cent and itsmortality rate is 1.014 per cent (in 2001 466 people were born and 594 deceased), with anatural population decrease of 0.219 per cent and vital index of 78.45. The majority of its citizens areCroats representing 75.88% of the population (2021 census). The largest ethnic minorities are: 2,661Serbs (5.10 per cent), 1,860 localItalians (3.56 per cent), 1,479Bosniaks (2.83 per cent), 440Albanians (0.84 per cent), 357Slovenians (0.68 per cent).[3]
The city is best known for its many surviving ancient Roman buildings, the most famous of which is its 1st-centuryamphitheatre, which is among the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world[15] and locally known as theArena. This is one of the best-preserved amphitheatres from antiquity and is still in use today during summer film festivals. During the World War II Italian fascist administration, there were attempts to dismantle the arena and move it to mainland Italy, which were quickly abandoned due to the costs involved.
The Twin Gates (Porta Gemina) is one of the few remaining gates after thecity walls were pulled down at the beginning of the 19th century. It dates from the mid-2nd century, replacing an earlier gate. It consists of two arches, columns, a plainarchitrave, and a decoratedfrieze. Closeby are a few remains of the old city wall.
The Gate of Hercules dates from the 1st century. At the top of the single arch, one can see the bearded head ofHercules, carved inhigh-relief, and his club on the adjoiningvoussoir. A damaged inscription, close to the club, contains the names ofLucius Calpurnius Piso andGaius Cassius Longinus who were entrusted by theRoman senate to found a colony at the site of Pula. Thus it can be deduced that Pula was founded between 47 and 44 BC.
The Augustan Forum was constructed in the 1st century BC, close to the sea. In Roman times it was surrounded by temples ofJupiter,Juno andMinerva. This Roman commercial and administrative centre of the city remained the main square of classical and medieval Pula. It is still the main administrative and legislative centre of the city. The temple of Augustus is still preserved today. A part of the back wall of the temple of Juno was integrated into theCommunal Palace in the 13th century.
Two Roman theatres have withstood the ravages of time: the smaller one (diameter c. 50 m; 2nd century AD) near the centre, the larger one (diameter c. 100 m; 1st century AD) on the southern edge of the city.
The city's old quarter of narrow streets, lined withMedieval andRenaissance buildings, are still surfaced with ancient Roman paving stones.
The Byzantine chapel ofSanta Maria del Canneto (or St. Mary Formosa) was built in the 6th century (before 546) in the form of a Greek cross, resembling the churches inRavenna. It was built byMaximianus of Ravenna, then adeacon, but laterArchbishop of Ravenna. It was, together with another chapel, part of aBenedictine abbey that was demolished in the 16th century. The floors and the walls are decorated with 6th-century mosaics. The decoration bears some resemblance to theMausoleum of Galla Placidia inRavenna. The wall over the door contains a Byzantine carved stone panel. The 15th-century wall paintings may be restorations of Early Christian paintings. When the Venetians raided Pula in 1605, they removed many treasures from this chapel and took them to Venice, including the four columns of oriental alabaster that stand behind the high altar ofSt Mark's Basilica.
TheCathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in the 6th century, when Pula became the seat of a bishopry, over the remains of the original site where the Christians used to gather and pray in Roman times. It was enlarged in the 10th century. After its destruction by Genoese and Venetian raids, it was almost completely rebuilt in the 15th century. It got its present form when a late Renaissance façade was added in the early 16th century. The church still retains several Romanesque and Byzantine characters, such as some parts of the walls (dating from the 4th century), a few of the original columncapitals and the upper windows of the nave. In the altar area and in the room to the south one can still see fragments of 5th- or 6th-century floor mosaics with memorial inscriptions from worshippers who paid for the mosaics. The windows of the aisles underwent reconstruction inGothic style after a fire in 1242. The belfry in front of the church was built between 1671 and 1707 using stones from the amphitheatre. There also used to stand a baptistery from the 5th century in front of the church, but it was demolished in 1885.
The Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas with its Ravenna-style polygonal apse originally dates from the 6th century, but was partially rebuilt in the 10th century. In 1583 it was assigned to the Orthodox community of Pula, mainly immigrants fromCyprus andNauplion. The church owns several icons from the 15th and the 16th century and aniconostasis from the Greek artistsTomios Batos from the 18th century.
The star-shaped castle with fourbastions is situated on top of the central hill of the old city. It was built, over the remains of the Romancapitolium, by the Venetians in the 17th century, following the plans of theFrench military architectAntoine de Ville. Since 1961 it houses theHistorical Museum of Istria. Close by, on the north-eastern slopes, one can see the remains of a 2nd-century theatre.
The Church of St. Francis dates from the end of the 13th century. It was built in 1314 in the lateRomanesque style with Gothic additions such as therose window. The church consists of a singlenave with threeapses. An unusual feature of this church is the doublepulpit, with one part projecting into the street. A 15th-century woodenpolyptych from anEmilian artist adorns the altar. The west portal is decorated with shell motifs and arose window. The adjoining monastery dates from the 14th century. The cloisters display some antique Roman artefacts.
TheArchaeological Museum of Istria is situated in the park on a lower level than theRoman theatre and close to the Twin Gates. Its collection was started by MarshallMarmont in August 1802 when he collected the stone monuments from the temple of Augustus. The present-day museum was opened in 1949. It displays treasures from Pula and surroundings from prehistory until theMiddle Ages. The building was constructed under Austro-Hungarian rule and was the former k.u.k.Staatsgymnasium, the Austrian high school.TheAquarium Pula is the biggest aquarium in Croatia, located in the Austro-Hungarian fortress Verudela, which was built in 1886 on the peninsula 3 km (2 mi) from the centre of the city of Pula. Transforming the fortress into the aquarium has been in progress since 2002. The installation encompasses about 60 tanks on the ground floor, the moat, and the first floor of the fortress. In an area of approximately 2,000 m2 (21,528 sq ft), visitors can view inhabitants of the Northern and Southern Adriatic Sea, tropical marine and freshwater fish, and representatives of European rivers and lakes. From the roof of the fort, visitors may view the entire city of Pula. It is also possible to see the first marine turtle rescue centre in Croatia.
Fort Bourguignon is one of many fortresses in Pula that the Austrian empire erected to protect the port for its navy.
Nesactium[43] is an ancient hill fort settlement, which is considered to be the oldest urban settlement in Istria. The town is settled about 10 km north of Pula, next to Valtura and Pula Airport. The site itself is located above Bay of Budava, and it is well protected by its steep hills. Nesactium is first mentioned as the main settlement of the Histri, the oldest people on the peninsula, which was the eponym for Istria. Livy was the first who mentioned Nesactium, and the altar dedicated to Emperor Gordian from the 3rd century, where "Res Republica Nesactiensium" is mentioned, confirmed the actual existence of this city. The search for the city began in 1900, whenPietro Kandler first put together the toponym Vizače with ancient Nesactium.
As a result of its rich political history, Pula is a city with a cultural mixture of people and languages from the Mediterranean and Central Europe, ancient and contemporary. Pula's architecture reflects these layers of history. Residents are commonly fluent in both Croatian and Italian but also in foreign languages like German and English. From 30 October 1904 to March 1905 Irish writerJames Joyce taught English at the Berlitz School; his students were mainlyAustro-Hungarian naval officers who were stationed at theNaval Shipyard. While he was in Pola he organised the local printing of his broadsheetThe Holy Office, which satirised bothWilliam Butler Yeats andGeorge William Russell.[44]
Pula Arena (exterior)
Pula Arena (interior)
Istrian National Theatre
Punta Verudela
Arch of Sergii
Byzantine Piran Reliquary at the Pula Archeological Museum
Lungo Mare beach
Light design byDean Skira on cranes in Pula harbour
Pula's surrounding natural environment, countryside and the turquoise water of theAdriatic have made the city popularsummer holiday destination. The pearl nearby is Brioni island orBrijuninational park visited by numerous world leaders since it was the summer residence ofJosip Broz Tito.Roman villas and temples still lie buried among farm fields and along the shoreline of the dozens of surrounding fishing and farming villages. The coastal waters offer beaches, fishing,wreck dives to ancient Romangalleys and World War I warships,cliff diving, and sailing to unspoiled coves and islands large and small.
Pula had an electric tramway system in the early 20th century. It was built in 1904 as a part of Pula's economic crescendo during the Austro-Hungarian rule. After World War I, during the Fascist rule, the need for tram transportation declined and it was finally dismantled in 1934.
Pula Airport is located north-east of Pula, and serves both domestic and international destinations.[45] Similarly to nearbyRijeka Airport, it is not a major international destination. However, this has changed over recent years aslow-cost airlineRyanair started scheduled flights to Pula in November 2006.Easyjet offers many flights to UK airports. Jet2 also offers flights from Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds-Bradford, Belfast, Manchester, and East Midlands Airports. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) operates scheduled flights from Stockholm and Copenhagen during summertime. Nearbyinternational airports includeTrieste,Zagreb andLjubljana. There are direct flights into Pula airport from London during the whole year and several other large airports in Western Europe during summer.
A train service operates north from Pula through to Slovenia, however, the line remains disconnected from the rest of theCroatian Railways network. Plans to tunnel the 'missing link' between this line and from Rijeka have existed for many years, and despite work commencing on this project previously, have never seen completion. People traveling to Rijeka or Zagreb by train must get off in Lupoglav and take a bus to Rijeka.
Pula Bus Terminus/Terminal is the main hub for Istria and is located on the edge of town just west of the Amphitheatre. From there, excellent service to a wide range of local, domestic, and international locations is available throughout the year. Several bus companies operate from this Terminus including the local service run by Pulapromet. There is also a guaranteed direct line from Pula to Trieste/Venice, especially into spring/summertime.
Passenger ferries also operate from the port area to nearby islands, and also toVenice andTrieste in Italy from June to September.
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