Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• Continue up the broad street, named for
Giuseppe Garibaldi
—one of the major players in
late 19th-century Italian unification. Imagine: Even though you're in Croatia, Italian patri-
ots are celebrated in this very Italian-feeling town (see the “Italo-Croatia” sidebar). After
one long block, on your left, you'll come to the wide cross-street called...
Square at the Bridge (Trg na Mostu)
This marks the site of the medieval bridge that once connected the fortified island of
Rovinj to the mainland (as illustrated in the small painting above the door of the Kavana al
Ponto—“Bridge Café”). Back then, the island was populated mostly by Italians, while the
mainland was the territory of Slavic farmers. But as Rovinj's strategic importance waned,
and its trading status rose, the need for easy access became more important than the canal's
protectivepurpose—soin1763,itwasfilledin.Thetwopopulationsintegrated,creatingthe
bicultural mix that survives today.
Notice the breeze? Via Garibaldi is nicknamed Val di Bora (“Valley of the Bora Wind”)
for the constant cooling wind that blows here. On the island side of Trg na Mostu is the
Rovinj Heritage Museum (described later, under “Sights in Rovinj”). Next door, the town's
culturalcenterpostslovinglyhand-letteredsignsinCroatianandItalianannouncingupcom-
ing musical events (generally free, designed for locals, and worth noting and enjoying).
Nearby(justpastKavanaalPonto,ontheleft),theVieciaBatanaCafé—namedforRov-
inj's unique, flat-bottomed little fishing boats—has a retro interior with a circa-1960 fish-
ermen's mural that evokes an earlier age. The café is popular for its chocolate cake and
“Batana” ice cream.
• Now proceed (passing handwritten signs in Croatian and Italian listing upcoming events)
to the little fountain in the middle of the square, facing the harbor.
Italo-Croatia
Apart from its tangible attractions, one of Istria's hallmarks is its biculturalism: It's
an engaging hybrid of Croatia and Italy. Like most of the Croatian Coast, Istria has
variously been controlled by Illyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, Venetians, and
Austrians. After the Habsburgs lost World War I, most of today's Croatia joined
Yugoslavia—but Istria became part of Italy. During this time, the Croatian vernacu-
lar was suppressed, while the Italian language and culture flourished. But this extra
chapter of Italian rule was short-lived. After World War II, Istria joined Yugoslavia,
and Croatian culture and language returned. What followed was a so-called “Italian
