Rovinj | |
|---|---|
| Grad Rovinj Città di Rovigno[1] City of Rovinj | |
 .jpg)  .jpg) .jpg)    Rovinj | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Rovinj | |
| Coordinates:45°05′N13°38′E / 45.083°N 13.633°E /45.083; 13.633 | |
| Country |  Croatia |
| County |  Istria County |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marko Paliaga (IDS)[2] |
| • City Council | |
| Area | |
• City | 29.9 sq mi (77.5 km2) |
| • Urban | 24.1 sq mi (62.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2021)[4] | |
• City | 12,968 |
| • Density | 430/sq mi (170/km2) |
| • Urban | 11,629 |
| • Urban density | 480/sq mi (190/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 52210 |
| Area code | 052 |
| Website | rovinj-rovigno |
Rovinj (Croatian:[rǒʋiːɲ];Venetian andItalian:Rovigno;[5]Istriot:Ruvèigno orRuveîgno;Ancient Greek:Ρυγίνιον,romanized: Rygínion;Latin:Ruginium) is a city in westCroatia situated on the northAdriatic Sea with a population of 14,294 (2011). Located on the western coast of theIstrian peninsula, it is a popular tourist resort and beach destination, in addition to being an active fishing port.Istriot, aRomance language once widely spoken in this part of Istria, is still spoken by some of the residents. The town is officially bilingual, Croatian and Italian, hence both town names are official and equal.[6]
.jpg)
Rovinj was already a settlement ofVenetian orIllyrian tribes before being captured by theRomans, who called itArupinium orMons Rubineus, and laterRuginium andRuvinium.[7] Built on an island close to the coast, it became connected to the mainland much later, in 1763, by filling in the channel.[8]
Rovinj was eventually incorporated into theByzantine Empire, later becoming part of theExarchate of Ravenna in the 6th century, before being taken over by theFrankish Empire in 788.[9] For the following several centuries it was ruled by a succession of feudal lords, and in 1209 it was acquired by thePatriarchate of Aquileia underWolfger von Erla.[10]
From 1283 to 1797, Rovinj was one of the most important towns in Istria governed by theRepublic of Venice.[11] During this period, three town gates were constructed and Rovinj was fortified by two rows of defensive walls, remains of which can still be seen today.[12] The Rovinj pier is home to one of the old town gates,Balbi's Arch, dating from 1680, and a late-Renaissance clock tower.[13] The first city statute was proclaimed in 1531.[14]
Following thefall of Venice in 1797 and the ensuingNapoleonic interlude, Rovinj became part of theAustrian Empire, which lasted untilWorld War I.[15] According to the last Austrian census in 1911, 97.8% of the population was Italian-speaking. Rovinj then belonged toKingdom of Italy from 1918 to 1947, when it was ceded toSFR Yugoslavia, as part ofSR Croatia. The original town name "Rovigno" was then changed to "Rovinj." During the post-war period, many Italian inhabitants left Rovigno, leading to significant changes in the city's demographic structure.
FollowingCroatia's independence in 1991, Rovinj became one of the most important centers ofIstria County, an administrative unit encompassing most ofIstria. Rovinj is today the third most populous town in the county, behindPula-Pola andPoreč.
Rovinj is one of nine settlements officially designated as towns inIstria County in western Croatia. It has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa), with an average temperature of 4.8 °C (40.6 °F) in January and 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) in July. The average annual temperature is 13.4 °C (56.1 °F). The sea temperature is more than 20 °C (68 °F) from the mid-June to September. The average annual sea temperature is 16.6 °C (61.9 °F).[16]
Since records began in 1949, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), on 2 August 1988.[17] The coldest temperature was −14.8 °C (5.4 °F), on 7 January 1985.[18]
Since records began in 1984, the highest temperature recorded at the Sveti Ivan na pučini weather station at an elevation of 8 metres (26 ft) was 34.2 °C (93.6 °F), on 5 August 2017.[19] The coldest temperature was −6.5 °C (20.3 °F), on 29 December 1996.[20]
From May to September Rovinj receives more than 10 sunshine hours a day.[21] The rainfall averages 941 mm (37.05 in) a year and average air humidity is 72 percent.
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.
| Climate data for Rovinj | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 28.8 (83.8) | 30.0 (86.0) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.1 (95.2) | 37.1 (98.8) | 32.0 (89.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 21.6 (70.9) | 16.7 (62.1) | 37.1 (98.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 13.4 (56.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 21.7 (71.1) | 25.4 (77.7) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 24.6 (76.3) | 19.9 (67.8) | 14.4 (57.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 18.7 (65.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) | 5.5 (41.9) | 8.1 (46.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 18.4 (65.1) | 14.2 (57.6) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.5 (43.7) | 13.4 (56.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.0 (39.2) | 7.1 (44.8) | 11.6 (52.9) | 14.9 (58.8) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 10.2 (50.4) | 6.0 (42.8) | 3.2 (37.8) | 9.1 (48.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14.8 (5.4) | −8.8 (16.2) | −10.0 (14.0) | −1.0 (30.2) | 0.6 (33.1) | 5.4 (41.7) | 7.3 (45.1) | 8.2 (46.8) | 4.0 (39.2) | −1.5 (29.3) | −6.4 (20.5) | −9.4 (15.1) | −14.8 (5.4) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 59.5 (2.34) | 50.3 (1.98) | 55.0 (2.17) | 63.3 (2.49) | 56.4 (2.22) | 72.1 (2.84) | 40.7 (1.60) | 64.5 (2.54) | 83.1 (3.27) | 97.0 (3.82) | 98.3 (3.87) | 71.2 (2.80) | 811.5 (31.95) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 8.8 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 10.5 | 9.7 | 9.0 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 102.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 1.0 cm) | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 82.1 | 78.9 | 75.7 | 74.6 | 74.5 | 70.7 | 67.7 | 70.3 | 76.3 | 79.6 | 80.4 | 81.1 | 76.0 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 102.3 | 138.4 | 176.7 | 201.0 | 269.7 | 288.0 | 328.6 | 303.8 | 231.0 | 176.7 | 108.0 | 93.0 | 2,417.2 |
| Source: National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (Croatia)[22] | |||||||||||||
According to the 2021 census, its population was 12,968, with 11,629 living in the city proper. The other settlement in the municipality isRovinjsko Selo.[4] At the2011 census it was 14,294 and 13,056 respectively.[23]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 10,100 | — |
| 1890 | 10,354 | +2.5% |
| 1900 | 11,042 | +6.6% |
| 1910 | 13,160 | +19.2% |
| 1921 | 10,863 | −17.5% |
| 1931 | 11,069 | +1.9% |
| 1948 | 8,589 | −22.4% |
| 1953 | 6,374 | −25.8% |
| 1961 | 7,818 | +22.7% |
| 1971 | 9,464 | +21.1% |
| 1981 | 11,861 | +25.3% |
| 1991 | 13,559 | +14.3% |
| 2001 | 14,234 | +5.0% |
| 2011 | 14,294 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 12,968 | −9.3% |
| Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2001, DZS, Zagreb, 2005 | ||
In the 2011 census, there were 14,294 people living in Rovinj municipality. Croats form the majority at 63.3%, while ethnic minorities includeItalians (11.3%), those identifying with regional affiliation (10.5%),Serbs (4.2%),Albanians (2.7%) andBosniaks (2.1%).[24]
| population | 9891 | 10063 | 10100 | 10354 | 11042 | 13160 | 10863 | 11069 | 8589 | 6374 | 7818 | 9464 | 11861 | 13559 | 14234 | 14294 | 12968 |
| 1857 | 1869 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1921 | 1931 | 1948 | 1953 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
The City Assembly is composed of 19 representatives, coming from the following political parties:
.jpg)
The main economic activity in Rovinj is tourism and during peak season (May–September), its bars, restaurants and art galleries work long hours, while operating limited hours off-season.
The busiest area is the very centre of Rovinj, extending from the main bus station towards the old part of town, where most bars and clubs are located.
The town's main central thoroughfare is the fully pedestrian Carera Street, with many independent shops and art galleries. A farmer's market is located at the edge of the historic part of town, near Valdibora Square.
According to data compiled by Istria Tourist Board, Rovinj is the second biggest tourist destination in the county, in terms of overnight stays. The two closest airports are inPula (Croatia) andTrieste (Italy). During the summer season, low-cost airlines, such asRyanair, operate direct flights from western Europe to both airports.Easyjet operates flights between cities in the United Kingdom and Pula-Pola in the summer months.
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 5-star hotels. The city also has three luxury, 5-star hotels: Hotel Monte Mulini, Hotel Lone and Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, all owned by hotel group Maistra.[25] Apart from hotels on the mainland, there are also a handful of hotels on small islands surrounding Rovinj which are linked to the mainland by boats which go from the city centre to the hotel on the islands.
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 in the region such asTrieste,Venice,Rijeka-Fiume,Ljubljana andZagreb.
The centre of Rovinj, which includes the old town, is very walkable and transportation by bike or scooter is a preferred means of getting around for many locals.
The closest commercial international airports arePula (20 miles),Trieste-Ronchi (70 miles) andRijeka-Krk (80 miles). The closest major international airports are Venice and Zagreb. Car rental is available at each of the airports. During the summer season, Venice is connected to Rovinj via a direct ferry line which takes about 2.5 hours one way.
Rovinj is served by theKanfanar railway station (10 miles), which connects the region to Rijeka-Fiume. 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 south-east end of Carera Street.
Between 1876 and 1966, Rovinj was connected toKanfanar via a branch line of the Istriani Railway, which was closed supposedly due to heavy motorisation investments by Yugoslavia. Most of the tracks and stations, even though they have been sold byJŽ, can still be seen.[26]
Also during the summer season, there is a direct high speed ferry link between Venice and Rovinj. High speed weekly lines to the Port of Ravenna and Cesenatico were also available in the summer season until 2012/13, when Emilia-Romagna lines, its operator, closed for insolvency.
Rovinj istwinned with:
(in Croatian and Italian)Subdivisions ofIstria County | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities and towns |  | |
| Municipalities | ||
European Union: Members of the town twinning "Douzelage" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Current members |  | |
| Former members | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
