Pula — Primus Pilus Legacy

Your journey in Pula begins at the Amphitheater, built between 27 BC and 68 AD under Emperors Augustus, Claudius, and Vespasian. It is the sixth-largest preserved Roman amphitheater, measuring 132.45 m x 105.1 m x 32.45 m high, and one of only four in the world with its four intact access towers. Imagine the 23,000 spectators watching gladiatorial combats until the 5th century. This site, on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2006, was the beating heart of public life in Pietas Iulia, the Roman colony founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC.

200 meters south of the amphitheater, you reach the Arch of Hercules, erected in the 1st century AD as a city gate. This unique arch, 4 m high and 2.5 m wide, adorned with a frieze of Hercules, is the last remnant of Pula's Roman gates. The dedicatory inscription to Hercules, discovered in situ in the 19th century, testifies to the importance of protective deities for the inhabitants of Istria. It reminds you of Rome's power and Augustus's presence in the region, who oversaw much of Pula's construction.

Your path then leads you to the Walls of Pula, whose 1st-century Roman foundations were used for the Venetian walls built between 1450 and 1633. These ramparts, with a total perimeter of 3.2 km and an average height of 10 m, incorporate 14 preserved bastions, including Fort Castel Goffredo (1631) used until 1945. 500 m northeast of the amphitheater, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose original church dates from the 4th century and apse from the 15th, and its 1608 bell tower, one of Istria's tallest at 40 m, reveal the evolution of Pula's heritage through the centuries.

Continuing your exploration of Pula, you will walk along Via Sergia, the main Roman road from the 1st century AD, 600 m long, paved with Istrian limestone blocks and aligned with the cardo maximus. Lined with arcades restored in 1930, it leads you to the Small Roman Theater, built around the 1st century AD with an 18 m wide stage and a capacity of 300 spectators. This theater, used until the 5th century and where intact frescoes were discovered in 1940, is one of three preserved Roman theaters in Croatia, another gem of the Archaeological Museum of Istria.

Your journey concludes at the Port of Pula, a natural harbor exploited since 1000 BC by the Histrians, which became a Roman naval base under Caesar in 59 BC and later an Austro-Hungarian naval base from 1853 to 1918 with a 20-hectare arsenal. These 12 m deep channels, located 800 m south of the amphitheater, witnessed Istria's maritime history. As Primus Pilus, you will have traversed Pula, deciphered its Roman and Venetian history, and understood the strategic importance of this city, a true open-air archaeological museum, classified as a Croatian cultural monument.