ISTRIA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 226

• Consider dropping by the TI on this square before continuing our circular stroll down the
main drag, Sergijevaca. You'll pass by a small park on your right, then a block of modern
shops. Halfway along the second building on the right—after the Calzedonia shop—watch
for the poorly marked doorway with a green Roman mosaic plaque next to it. Go through
the door and down the corridor (often occupied by vendors), and pop out the back door.
Emerging on the other side, turn left, walk to the metal grill, and look down to see the...
Roman Floor Mosaic (Rimski Mozaik)
ThishiddenmosaicisagreatexampleoftheRomantreasuresthatliebelowtheoldcenterof
Pula. Uncovered by locals who were cleaning up from World War II bombs, this third-cen-
tury floor was carefully excavated and cleaned up for display right where it was laid nearly
two millennia ago. (Notice that the Roman floor level was about six feet below today's.)
The centerpiece of the mosaic depicts the punishment of Dirce. According to the ancient
Greek legend, King Lykos of Thebes was bewitched by Dirce and abandoned his pregnant
queen.Thequeengavebirthtotwinboys(depictedinthismosaic),whogrewuptokilltheir
deadbeat dadandtieDircetothehornsofabulltobebashedagainst amountain. Thissame
story is famously depicted in the twisty Toro Farnese sculpture partly carved by Michelan-
gelo (on display in Naples' Archaeological Museum).
• For an optional detour to Byzantine times, walk into the parking lot just beyond the mosa-
ic. Near the end of the lot, on the left-hand side, is a fenced-off grassy field. At the far end
of the field is the small...
Basilica of St. Mary Formosa (Kapela Marije Formoze)
We've seen plenty of Roman and Venetian bric-a-brac, but this chapel survives from the
time of another Istrian occupier: Byzantium. For about 170 years after Rome fell (the sixth
and seventh centuries A.D. ), this region came under the control of the Byzantine Empire and
was ruled from Ravenna (now in Italy, across the Adriatic, south of Venice). Much of this
field was once occupied by a vast, richly decorated basilica. This lonely chapel is all that's
left, but it still gives a feel for the architecture of that era—including the Greek cross floor
plan (with four equal arms) and heavy brick vaulting.
• Back on the main drag (Sergijevaca), continue through Pula's most colorful and most
touristy neighborhood. After a block, the stepped lane on the left leads up to the deconsec-
rated Church of the Holy Cross, which is now a state-of-the-art museum space housing tem-
porary exhibits from the Archaeological Museum (explained on here ) .
Continuing along Sergijevaca, in a few short blocks you'll arrive at the...