The historical city of Poreč

Poreč has been inhabited since prehistoric times. During the 2nd century BC, a Roman castrum was raised on a tiny peninsula, which was 400 m long and 200 m wide, and on which today stands the core of the old city.

In the time of Rome, Poreč got its first walls, the whole city was walled except for the west side of the top of the peninsula where the temple of Neptune was located. During the Byzantine rule, Bishop Euphrasius enthroned the city and had the then double basilica restored. The new basilica was built on the model of the basilicas in Ravenna with golden mosaics in the centre of which is the Virgin Mary with the little Christ in her lap.

With the disintegration of the Frankish Empire, independent communes were formed in Istria, including Poreč. It would retain the status of an independent city until 1267, when Poreč was placed under the protection of Venice, becoming the first possession of the Republic of Sv. Mark in Istria. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Poreč was a city of merchants and craftsmen, and then some of its most beautiful palaces were built, the Zuccato Palace, the Parisi-Gonen Palace and others.

From 1861, with the imperial patent, Istria gained its self-government and Poreč became the seat of the provincial parliament: the Istrian Parliament (Dietà istriana). At the same time, the city, as well as the whole of Istria, is experiencing modernization and economic development, so at the beginning of the 20th century the railway line Poreč – Trieste, better known as Parenzana, was established, and the first hotels were built due to tourism. In 1991, there was a change at the state level when Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia and Poreč entered the 21st century as part of Croatia.

There`s a lot more to tell but you can imagine how rich of a history Poreč hides in its wall.