Pula (Pola)

Geography and Demographics

Pula is located at the extreme south of the Istrian peninsula, in a safe and well-protected natural bay. With around 52,000 inhabitants (according to the 2021 census), it is by far the largest city in Istria County and the eighth largest city in Croatia. If we consider the wider metropolitan area, the number rises to approximately 90,000 inhabitants, making Pula the main urban, administrative, and economic center of the entire Croatian Istria. The Mediterranean climate and strategic location on seven hills enabled early and permanent settlement of this area.

History of the Settlement and National Affiliations

Due to its exceptional geostrategic position, Pula has historically been a crossroads of different cultures and empires, and its population has experienced extreme rises and falls.

• Antiquity and the Middle Ages: The area was originally inhabited by the Illyrian Histri, after whom Istria was named. In the 1st century BC, the territory was conquered by the Romans, who founded the strong coastal colony Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola. After the fall of Rome, the Ostrogoths, Byzantines, and Franks took turns ruling.

• Crisis under the Venetian Republic: Between 1331 and 1797, Pula was under the auspices of Venice. This period was disastrous for the city, as wars, and above all repeated epidemics of plague and malaria, decimated the population. In the 17th century, only a few hundred people lived in the city, and the ancient ruins were decaying.

• Austro-Hungarian Revival: The golden age and complete transformation began in the 19th century when Austria-Hungary declared Pula the main naval port of its Imperial Navy (K.u.K. Kriegsmarine) in 1856. From a decaying fishing village, a modern, industrial, and multinational city emerged.

• 20th century to the present: After the First World War, Pula fell to Italy, and after the Second World War, it was included in Yugoslavia (until 1947 under Anglo-American administration). Since 1991, it has been an indispensable part of independent Croatia.

Famous Personalities

The development of a strong military and cultural center under Austria-Hungary brought and shaped many important figures in the city:

• Herman Potočnik - Noordung (1892–1929): A Slovenian rocket engineer and pioneer of space architecture born in Pula. His father was a naval officer in the Austro-Hungarian army who served at the main naval base.

• James Joyce: The famous Irish writer lived in Pula between 1904 and 1905, where he taught English to naval officers.

• Franz Lehár and Antonio Smareglia: The composer Lehár worked in Pula as a military bandmaster of the naval orchestra, and the famous opera composer Antonio Smareglia was also born in the city.

Transport Connections: The Railway until 1991

The explosive development of the city in the 19th century required fast and reliable transport routes. In 1876, the Istrian Railway was built, connecting the military port in Pula via Divača (Slovenia) to Vienna and the rest of the Central European hinterland.

This connection to the Slovenian railway network was crucial until 1991. During the time of Yugoslavia, there were direct and regular passenger and freight lines (such as the famous "Green Train"), which directly connected Pula through Buzet and Divača with Ljubljana and further to Zagreb. With the breakup of Yugoslavia and the emergence of new state borders, the situation changed drastically. The Istrian railway network is geographically not directly connected to the rest of the Croatian railway network (the Rijeka–Zagreb direction). Due to the intervening state border with Slovenia, railway passenger traffic between Pula and the rest of Croatia lost its practicality and importance, and the main role was taken over by the road network and the "Istrian Y" highway (Istarski ipsilon).

The Pula Arena: Architectural Engineering of Antiquity

The most recognizable symbol of the city and all of Istria is the Roman amphitheater, which dominates the city's outskirts and represents an astounding engineering achievement. It was built in the 1st century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian from local limestone. Due to the slope of the terrain, it has three stories on the sea side, and only two on the land side. In antiquity, it could accommodate around 20,000 spectators.

Features and Preservation: Although its interior was often used in the Middle Ages as a quarry for building palaces and churches, its outer ring ranks among the best preserved in the world.

• Four Towers: The Pula Arena is the only Roman amphitheater in the world that has all four rectangular side towers fully preserved.

• Cooling System: Large water cisterns were located in these towers. Water mixed with fragrances was sprayed through a special pipeline to cool the spectators during hot summer games.

• Protective Canvas: The arena had a built-in complex system of folding canvases (velarium), which protected the audience from strong sun and rain. The holes for the wooden canvas supports are still clearly visible at the top of the wall.

Comparison with other amphitheaters:

• Colosseum in Rome: Although the Colosseum is the largest, its outer ring is mostly destroyed. The Pula Arena surpasses it in the degree of preservation of the entire outer mantle.

• Verona Arena: It has a perfectly preserved interior, but its outer facade is almost completely destroyed (only a small piece, the so-called "wing", remains). In Pula, the situation is exactly the opposite.

• El Jem (Tunisia): The third largest amphitheater stands out for the preservation of its basement spaces, but it lacks the completeness of the outer side towers.

Present State: Economy, Education, and Culture

Today, Pula successfully combines its rich historical heritage with a modern lifestyle and remains a key center of the region.

• Economy: The economy is primarily based on tourism, service industries, the food industry, and winemaking. The traditionally highly important shipbuilding industry (the Uljanik shipyard) has experienced major restructuring and downsizing in recent years, but it remains inscribed in the city's identity.

• Education: The city is developing into a strong educational center. In 2006, the Juraj Dobrila University was founded, offering a wide range of study programs and attracting students from the entire region and the rest of Croatia.

• Culture: Pula is culturally extremely vibrant. Every summer, the Arena becomes the central venue for the famous Pula Film Festival and hosts concerts by some of the world's biggest musical names. The rich heritage is preserved by the Archaeological Museum of Istria, the Istrian National Theatre, and numerous perfectly preserved ancient monuments, such as the Temple of Augustus and the Triumphal Arch of the Sergi.