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Old Town Tour of Pula, Pula
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Old Town Tour of Pula
Guide Location: Croatia » Pula
Guide Type: Self-guided city tour
# of Attractions: 12
Tour Duration: 2 hour(s)
Transportation Mode: by foot
Travel Distance: 2.9 km
Image Courtesy of Flickr and ChrisYunker
Author: Cathy
Pula is a historical city with numerous ancient landmarks and attractions. It is located on the sea, making it an attractive spot for tourists. The most popular place to visit in the city is the Arena Amphitheather, because it best reflects the history and spirit of Pula. Take this tour to visit Pula's architectural treasures.
Tour Stops and Attractions
Arena Amphitheater
1) Arena Amphitheater
The Pula Arena is the name of the amphitheater located in Pula. The Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheater to have four side towers with all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved. It is among the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world and is also the best preserved ancient monument in Croatia. The exterior wall is made of limestone. The section facing the sea consists of three stories, while the other part has only two stories, since the amphitheater was built on a slope. The maximum height of the exterior wall is 29.40 meters. The first two floors each have 72 arches, while the top floor has 64 rectangular openings. The amphitheater was part of the gladiator circuit. The Arena was built between 27 BC - 68 AD at a time when the city of Pula was a regional center of Roman rule known as Pietas Julia.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and Anja Feijen
Sight description based on wikipedia
Church of Saint Anthony
2) Church of Saint Anthony
The Church of Saint Anthony was named after Saint Anthony of Padua. The church was built in the simple Romanesque style, and the strong structure has withstood the test of time. The church was built with the help of several famous specialists, including architect Eng. Guido Brass, stone master Sebastiano Bianchini and other notable experts. The tower of the church, at a height of 45 meters, can be seen from all the corners of the city.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Orlovic
Tito's Park
3) Tito's Park
Tito's Park is popular with tourists because of its location near the sea. It was founded in 1940. In 1957, Vanja Radaus built a monument here in memory of the heroes who died during WWII. The park has a range of exotic trees and plants. These include the Japanese Cherry, Aleppo Pine and Oleander.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and zipckr
Archaeological Museum of Istria
4) Archaeological Museum of Istria
The Archaeological Museum of Istria opened in 1902. The museum has several collections - prehistoric, ancient, late ancient and medieval. In addition to its exhibits, the museum is responsible for maintaining a number of ancient sites in the city such as the Arena Amphitheater, the Temple of Diana, the Double Door and many others. The Hall Museum opened to the public in 1930. Over the years, it has undergone several renovations. Its permanent collection is complemented by new finds from archaeological sites in Istria that include prehistoric caves, ruins, cemeteries, ancient commercial complexes, and religious buildings. These sites date back to the early Christian and Byzantine periods, the time of the barbarian invasions and the settlement of the Slavic population in Istria.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Orlovic
Triumphal Arch of the Sergii
5) Triumphal Arch of the Sergii
The Arch of the Sergii is an ancient Roman triumphal arch, which commemorates three brothers of the Sergii family, specifically Lucius Sergius Lepidus. Lepidus was a tribune serving in the twenty-ninth legion, which participated in the Battle of Actium and was disbanded in 27 BC. The Sergii were a powerful family of officials in the colony who retained their power for centuries. The honorary triumphal arch, originally a city gate, was erected as a symbol of the victory at Actium. This small arch, with pairs of crenelated Corinthian columns and winged victories in the spandrels, was built on the facade of a gate (Porta Aurea) in the walls. It is decorated on the part of the arch that was visible to the town. The low relief on the frieze depicts a scene of a war chariot drawn by horses.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and Ken_Mayer
Sight description based on wikipedia
Chapel of Saint Maria Formose
6) Chapel of Saint Maria Formose
The Byzantine chapel of St. Mary Formosa was built in the 6th century in the form of a Greek cross, resembling the churches in Ravenna. It was built by deacon Maximilian, who later became Archbishop of Ravenna. It was, together with another chapel, part of a Benedictine 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 the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia at Ravenna. 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 to Venice, including the four columns of oriental alabaster that now stand behind the high altar of St. Mark's Basilica.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and oksidor
Sight description based on wikipedia
Temple of Augustus
7) Temple of Augustus
The Temple of Augustus is a well-preserved Roman temple, which was dedicated to the first Roman emperor, Augustus. It was probably built during the emperor's lifetime, at some point between 2 BC and his death in 14 AD. The richly decorated frieze is similar to that of a somewhat larger and older temple, the Maison Carrée, in Nîmes, France. The temple's dedication originally consisted of bronze letters attached to the portico. Only the attachment holes now remain, and much of the text has been destroyed over time. The temple was part of a triad consisting of three temples. Under Byzantine rule, the temple was converted into a church, which accounts for its survival into modern times. The church was struck by a bomb during an Allied air raid in 1944, which almost totally destroyed it. It was reconstructed in 1947 and is today used as a lapidarium to display Roman sculptures.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and j lord
Sight description based on wikipedia
Pula Communal Palace
8) Pula Communal Palace
The Communal Palace is situated at the northern end of the main square of the old part of the city of Pula, called Forum Square. It stands on the former location of the Temple of Diana, which was used as a rudimentary city hall from the 9th century. As the city prospered, a new city hall was built at the site of the Temple of Diana. Construction on the new building was finished in 1296. The Gothic structure was built using material from old Roman temples and other buildings on the site. The Communal Palace even incorporates a whole wall of the ancient Temple of Diana. At the end of the 15th century the building was reconstructed in the Renaissance style, and during the 17th century, the building was again reconstructed, this time in the Baroque style.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and korom
Sight description based on wikipedia
Franciscan Church and Monastery
9) Franciscan Church and Monastery
The Church of St. Francis was built in 1314 in the late Romanesque style with Gothic additions such as the rose window. The church consists of a single nave with three apses. An unusual feature of this church is the double pulpit, with one part projecting into the street. A 15th-century wooden polyptych from an Emilian artist adorns the altar. The west portal is decorated with shell motifs and a rose window. The adjoining monastery dates from the 14th century. The cloisters display some antique Roman artifacts.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Dirgela
Sight description based on wikipedia
Fortress and Historical Museum of Istria
10) Fortress and Historical Museum of Istria
The Fortress of Pula was built in a strategic location on the bay of Pula where a medieval Roman castle once stood. The fort was designed by French military engineer Antoine De Ville between 1631 and 1633. It was part of the defense system of Pula during the 17th century, which included the fortress on the island of St. Andrew and two defensive embankments. The first embankment stood along what is today Castropola Street, while the second stood on the perimeter of city's medieval walls. The fortress has functioned as a museum since 1961. The museum contains approximately 40,000 exhibits divided into 14 collections. Items in the collection include old postcards, photos, weapons and more.
Image Courtesy of Flickr and lostajy
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
11) Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in the 6th century over the remains of the site where Christians used to gather and pray in Roman times. It was enlarged in the 10th century. After its destruction during Genoese and Venetian raids, it was almost completely rebuilt in the 15th century. It assumed its present form when a late Renaissance facade was added in the early 16th century. The church still retains several Romanesque and Byzantine elements, such as the parts of the walls that date back to the 4th century, a few of the original column capitals and the upper windows of the nave. In the altar area and in the room to the south, you can still see fragments of 5th- and 6th-century floor mosaics with memorial inscriptions from worshipers who paid for the mosaics. The belfry in front of the church was built between 1671 and 1707 with stones from the amphitheater.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Georges Jansoone
Sight description based on wikipedia
Marina
12) Marina
The Marina Yachting Club is home to a number of yachts and catamarans of all shapes and sizes. The berths range up to 1,500 meters in length. The marina is located in a place where wind is not a great concern for boaters. The marina complex has several restaurants, shops and a sports area.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Orlovic
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