Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

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The Basilica is almost invisible from the outside because it blends into the urban structure
of the old city centre of Poreč (18). Yet if we enter into its interior, we will immediately
be impressed by the uniqueness of its structure (22), and in particular the
splendor and uniqueness of the altar (21). Like other Byzantine churches of that era, it
is embellished with rich mosaïcs, and the best preserved are on the apse of the church
(17) and in a special collection in the whole complex of the basilica. Among them, the
most famous is the mosaïc of the fish (20), a historical symbol of Christ, which serves as
a sort of symbol of Poreč, which is therefore sometimes called the city of mosaïcs.
Poreč, of course, is not only defined by the basilica, but also by its picturesque urban
core which holds other beautiful and well preserved buildings from ancient times. Like
other cities in Istria, Poreč also has a local History Museum. In this museum, paintings
have a special role, with the most valuable part of the collection belonging to the once
powerful and rich family Carli (19).
The largest town in Istria, PULA, is located in the extreme South of the Istrian peninsula
and at first glance does not imply the cultural richness which it hides, and the beauty
of its surroundings. The reason for this is its location in the plains, the size of the town
and the buildings on its edges. If we enter into the centre of town, we will immediately
be impressed by the monumental and well preserved amphitheatre (28), which testifies
to the extraordinary importance of Pula and Istria since ancient times. This is the sixth
largest Roman amphitheatre in the world and also one of the best preserved.
The amphitheatre was built during the reign of Emperor Vespasian in the first century
after Christ, and its appearance has remained virtually unchanged for two thousand
years. It once served as an arena for cruel gladiator fighting which was watched by up to
20 000 people, and today serves as a tourist attraction and as a stage for various events
(31), most of which are musical performances - from classical music and ballet (30) to
rock concerts (29), which favours a unique atmosphere and the acoustics of the arena.
However, the most famous of all national events is the international film festival held
in July each year.
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