Pula (Italian Pola, Slovenian Pulj) is the largest
city in Istria, Croatia, at the southern tip of that peninsula, population
58,594 (2001). A majority of its citizens are Croats with 71.65% (2001
census).
Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, tame sea, and
unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of wine making, fishing,
shipbuilding, and tourism. Pula has also been Istria's administrative center
since ancient Roman times.
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Significant Roman settlement (Colonia Pietas
Iulia Pola) began in the first century BC. After the fall of the Western
Roman Empire, the city was ruled by Ostrogoths, Franks, and the Venetians,
as each succeeded the other in ruling the region. The first arrival of the
Slavs in the environs of the town dates to the 7th century. The history of
the city continued to reflect its location and significance, like that of
the region, in the redrawing of borders between European powers.
Pola is quoted by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri in the "Divina
Commedia": "come a Pola, presso del Carnaro ch'Italia chiude e i
suoi termini bagna" ("as Pola, along the Quarnero, that marks
the end of Italy and bathes its boundaries"). Though at Dante's time
Italy political unification was merely a dream, this quote is important
because it is the first time that the question of the eastern border
arises, and supports later justification for Italian claims on the region.
In 1150 Pola swore allegiance to the most Serene Republic of Venice, thus
becoming a Venetian possession. for centuries thereafter the city's fate
and fortunes were tied to those of Venetian power. During the 14th, 15th
and 16th centuries, Pola was attacked and occupied by the Genoese, a
Croatian-Hungarian army and the Habsburg; several outlining medieval
settlements and towns were wiped off the map. In addition to war, the
plague, malaria and typhoid ravaged the city.With the collapse of Venice in 1797, the city was
up for grabs. In 1813, Pola and Istria came under the rule of Austria and became
a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire assigned to the "Küstenland".
During this period, Pola's large natural harbor became the site of Austria's
main naval base and a major shipbuilding center. The island of Lošinj to the
south of Pola became the summer vacation resort of Austria's Habsburg royal
family.Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Pola along
with all of Istria became a part of Italy. Italian rule lasted until the end of
World War II. For a number of years following that war Pola was administered by
the United Nations, including U.S. military forces, as Istria was partitioned
into occupation zones until the region became largely united with the rest of
Croatia within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
When the city was ceded to Yugoslavia its population was largely made up of
ethnic Italians -- up to 90 per cent in some accounts, but with the signing of
the peace treaty in 1947 most of those who had not already fled after 1945 left.
Subsequently, the city's Croatian name of Pula became official. Since the
collapse of the SFRY, Pula and Istria have become part of modern Croatia.
The natural beauty of Pula's surrounding countryside and turquoise blue water of
the Adriatic have made the city an internationally popular summer vacation
destination. The pearl nearby is Brijuni national park visited by numerous world
leaders since it was the summer residence of the late statesman Josip Broz.
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 Roman galleys and World
War I warships, cliff diving, and sailing to unspoiled coves and islands large
and small.
Pula is the end point of the EuroVelo 9 cycle route which runs from Gdansk on
the Baltic Sea through Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and
Croatia.
Pula has a local airport, but like the nearby Rijeka airport it is not a major
international destination. Nearby international airports include Trieste in
Italy and Zagreb, Croatia's capital.
Pula has football (soccer), basketball, baseball, handball team.
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