5 interesting facts about Istria’s history

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1.Did you know that the first evidence about the existence of pre-historic people in the Istria area comes from Lower Paleolithic times? The age of the pre-historic handmade stone hammer that was found in Sandalja cave near Pula is estimated to be around 2 million to 800000 years old. There are also findings from Upper Paleolithic times (40 - 10000 years old) at the site of Sandalja II and at Romauld’s cave in the Lim channel.

2. Did you know that Nezakcij (Vizace, lat. Nesactium) is the oldest town in Istria? Today this exceptional historical location is an archeological park that has remains from the Antique and late Antique periods. It is located in the south eastern part of Istria, near Valtura.

3.Did you know that the Glagolitic (ancient script), has preserved itself for the longest period of time in Istria? It was an important historic element and a firm component of cultural identification in Istria . Roc and Hum are the centers of Glagolitic scripts where Glagolitic tradition is cultivated on special way even today.

4.Did you know that Romualdo from Ravena was the first person to enter the cave, the place the local people avoided due to the belief that all sorts of creatures of dark and evil forces lurk around it? He stayed inside around five years, maintained contact with the world through one shepherd. The place was later named after him: St. Romualdo’s Cave.

5.Did you know that Istria was under the influential rule of the Venetian Republic for almost five centuries? This era started in the second half of the 13th century with the handing over of the Istrian towns to Venice, and ended in 1797 with the fall of the Venetian Republic. It was then when Istria came under Napoleonic rule.

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