Rovinj

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Rovinj
other_name = Città di Rovigno
native_name = Grad Rovinj
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settlement_type = Town
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image_caption = Old town of Rovinj


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pushpin_map_caption = Location of Rovinj within Croatia
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Croatia
subdivision_type1 = County
subdivision_name1 = Istria
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leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Giovanni Sponza, (IDS)
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area_total_km2 = 88
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population_as_of = 2007
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population_total = 13,562
population_density_km2 = 180
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timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd=45|latm=05|lats= |latNS=N
longd=13|longm=38|longs= |longEW=E
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 0
elevation_ft = 0
postal_code_type = Postal code
postal_code = 52 210
area_code = 052
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website = [http://www.rovinj.hr rovinj.hr]
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Rovinj (Italian: "Rovigno"; Istriot: "Ruvèigno") is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 (2007).cite web | url=http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?men=gpro&des=gamelan&geo=486343364 | title="The World Gazetteer" | accessdate=2007-02-23] It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port. Istriot, a Romance language once widely spoken in this part of Istria, is still spoken by part of the residents (also called Rovignese by those who speak it here). There is a centre of History Research which is an institution of the Council of Europe.

Geography

Rovinj is one of nine towns in Istrian County. The climate is Mediterranean. The average temperature is 4.8°C in January and 22.3°C in July. The average annual temperature is 16°C.Sea temperature is more than 20°C from the middle of June to the middle of September. The average annual sea temperature is 16.6 °C.

From the middle of May to the middle of September the sun shines more than 10 hours a day.The rainfall averages 941 mm a year. The average humidity is 72%. Vegetation is subtropical.

Originally the peninsula on which the city lies was an island, separated from the mainland by a channel. The latter was filled in 1763. Rovinj Archipelago includes 22 islets.

History

Rovinj was already a settlement of Illyrian tribes before being captured by the Romans, who called it "Arupiunum" or "Mons Rubineus", and later "Ruginium" and "Ruvinium". Built on an island close to the coast, it was connected with the mainland in 1763 by filling in the channel.

It became part of the Byzantine empire, then in the sixth century part of the Exarchate of Ravenna and in 788 part of the Frankish empire. Then it came under the rule of different feudal lords during several centuries. From 1209 it was ruled by the Aquilean patriarch.

It was from 1283 to 1797 one of the most important towns of Istria under the Republic of Venice. The city was fortified by two rows of walls with three town gates. The remaining town walls date from this period. Close to the pier one can find the old town gate "Balbi's Arch", dating from 1680, and a late-Renaissance clock tower. The city got its statutes in 1531.

After the fall of Venice and the Napoleonic parenthesis, Rovinj was part of the Austrian Empire until World War I. Then it belonged to Italy from 1918 to 1947, when it was ceded to Yugoslavia: in that period much of the Italian inhabitants fled.

Population

There are around 15,000 people living in Rovinj. The majority of its citizens are Croats at 65.94%. There are around 2,400 Italians living in Rovinj. Ethnic minorities are Italians (11.44%), Serbs (3.51%), Albanians (2.37%) and Bosnians (1.81%).

City government

The City Assembly is composed of 19 representatives, coming from the following political parties:

* Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) 13
* Independent 3
* Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) 2
* Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) 1

Entertainment and Nightlife

The local entertainment hub is Monvi, a multimedia centre that includes a night club, an open-air theatre, a number of disco bars, a Mexican restaurant and a pizzeria. It is very popular with locals that travel from neighbouring towns and cities to sample some of its entertainment offerings. Monvi regularly hosts concerts and events with big names from the Croatian popular music scene or international house and techno DJs. Outside of Monvi, nightlife is primarily relegated to coffee bars or local pub-type bars. In the summer months, the city is buzzing with young people although it becomes quiet in the winter, with most bars closing early and Monvi centre being open only on certain weekends.

The busiest area is the very centre of Rovinj, extending from the main bus station toward the old part of town. It is where most bars are located and where locals hang out. Popular bars among young locals are La Tabacheira, Buzz and Sax, the latter sharing an extensive open air terrace with a number of surrounding bars overlooking the pier that in the Summer evenings becomes one of the busiest places in town.

Every August, Rovinj hosts Grisia, a popular open air art fair wherein local and international artists exhibit their work on the cobbled streets of Grisia.

Economy

Rovinj is an importan financial center in Istria and it is the richest GDP per capita city in Croatia, US$ 35.033 as of 2006 . The most important companies are those connected to the touristic sector (hotels, camps, private accommodation), industrial sector (tobacco manufacturing, fishing industry, processing industry, food industry) and seamanship, mariculture and fishing. Adris grupa, one of the most successful croatian companies is headquartered in Rovinj.

Tourism

Tourism began for Rovinj in the late 19th Century, when liners began to stop at the port en route from Trieste to Rijeka. Georg Huterrodt developed the nearby islands in the early 20th Century, and created parkland to the south of the town as well as instituting the Istrian coast as a yachting destination [http://www.tzgrovinj.hr/eng/povijest/index.asp] .

According to the data of the Tourist Association of the Istrian County, Rovinj is now the second leading destination in terms of the number of realized overnightsFact|date=October 2008. It is also unofficially considered one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic coast. The most numerous visitors to the city of Rovinj are Italians, Germans, Austrians, Dutch and British. The two closest airports are Trieste and Pula. Since the recent introduction of low cost flights from the UK to Trieste, Treviso, Venice and Pula the number of UK visitors has increased dramatically. In the Summer season, there is a direct high speed ferry link between Venice and Rovinj, facilitating the transfer of visitors flying into Marco Polo airport to the town of Rovinj.

There are numerous hotels in the town itself, and beds are abundant though usually overbooked in the Summer months. Accommodation ranges from private rooms or apartments to bungalows, camping sites and 2 to 4 star hotels. As of Autumn 2008, what used to be the old Hotel Montauro and bungalows Monte Mulin are being converted into 5 start hotel resort.

External links

* [http://www.tzgrovinj.hr/ Tourist association of Rovinj]
* [http://www.rovinj.hr/rovinj/stranica.php?g=0&j=3&s=0_1_en The official site of the Town of Rovinj]
* [http://www.muzej-rovinj.com/ENG/oNama.asp Rovinj Heritage Museum]
* [http://www.mitellus.com/mawtravel/croatia/rovinj/cro1/mawtrav.html MAW walked there]

See also

*Monkodonja

References