You have stumbled upon the beautiful little city of Rovinj, or Rovigno in its Italian version. Everyone who craves relaxation, amazing and Instagramable scenes as well as colorful and historical buildings will start planning their trip to the probably most photographed town in Croatia. No joke!
But before booking your tickets and room in Rovinj, how about skimming through some facts on the town itself, it can only make you want to visit this place more!
So, Rovinj is a town on the west coast of Istria and covers the area from Limski canal to Veštra. Fantastic location, mild climate, and lush Mediterranean vegetation favored the development of spa and health tourism a long time ago in this area. With many hotels and a rich offer of various kinds, it’s no wonder that travelers keep coming back which also made it one of the most developed tourism centers in Croatia. It is a well-known center of artists and institutions of public interest (such as the Center for Marine Research), schools, museums, and galleries. Besides these facilities, Rovinj is a well-known name in the tobacco industry and the most famous factory known to Croats – Tobacco factory Rovinj and one of the finest wines to be found in Europe- Malvazija as well as fishing.
The area of Rovinj was inhabited since prehistoric times. In the written sources, the first time Rovinj was mentioned in the 6th century in Anonym Ravenjanin Cosmography under the names of Ruvigno, Ruigno, and Ruginio. After the seizures of Neretian tribes and Saracens in the 9th and 10th century, the city was surrounded by walls, and its surface has grown considerably with the church is in the middle, as that was the way everywhere in medieval Europe.
At that time, Venice, a strong force of that time, offered Rovinj protection, took from the city the oath of fidelity, and completely subjugated it to 1283. A seven-century bill. The Venetian government (until 1797) was for Rovinj the time of constant growth: demographic, economic and urban, and in the 17th and 18th century became one of the most densely populated cities of the northern Adriatic and the most crucial spot for fishing and anything related to the sea.m 1815 and the beginning of the Austro-Hungarian government began a stable era, which lasted until the WWI.
This era marked the economic and manufacturing development, particularly intense at the end of the 19th century, and the development of the Italian national movement. By acquiring a particular statute, in 1869 Rovinj became an autonomous city of the Austrian coast and then prospered economically. Even in 1888, the sea climatic health resort opened, first on the Croatian coast which kind of started a revolution in health tourism in Croatia (want to know more? Read on this link).
The city started again economically to rise from the mid-1960s thanks to the intense development of tourism.
The historic core of Rovinj shows clear lines of Venetian urbanistic and architectural models, such as late antique and early medieval style. The core is situated on two hills, one of which goes under name Monte (about 30m high) with the dominant baroque church of St. Euphemia (reconstructed 1725-36). The bell tower was restored in 1654-87, and on its top is the statue of St. Euphemia who is turning in the direction of the wind.
The picturesque Grisia street, one of the most famous in Rovinj is well-known for hosting the annual painting exhibition in the open. South of Rovinj is a protected area of the Golden Cape (Punta Corrente), a park suitable for recreation and pastime.
