Rovinj

Rovinj stands on the western coast of Istria, facing the northern Adriatic. It belonged to the Republic of Venice from 1283 until 1797. During that long period the town acquired defensive walls and gates, and its first town statute was proclaimed in 1531. Balbi's Arch, at an old entrance to the town, dates from 1680. Rovinj was originally built on an island close to shore; in 1763 the channel separating it from the mainland was filled in. Fishing and shipping linked the community with other Adriatic ports, while its fortified streets preserved the character of a compact coastal settlement. The fall of Venice in 1797 brought Venetian rule to an end and began a period of changing authority in Istria.