Joyce's Hidden Manuscript — Uncover the Exile's Secret

Your manuscript quest begins at the Arch of the Sergii, a monument built around 27-30 AD in honor of the Sergii family, staunch supporters of Octavian. Standing 8 meters high with its Corinthian decor, this unique arch was restored in 1817 by the Austrians and served as a city gate until 1820. It is here, facing the inscription 'ILS SERGIUS LVCIVS LVCIVS SERGIVS LEPIDVS LVCIVS SERGIVS LEPIDVS F', that James Joyce's first riddles await you, hidden in the symbols of this Roman heritage of Istria. Pula's rich and complex past unfolds from this very first step.

Continue to the Pula Forum, the administrative and religious heart of ancient Pietas Iulia, built in the 1st century BC. This central square, approximately 100 m x 60 m, was once lined with temples and porticoes. At its center stands the Temple of Augustus, erected between 2 BC and 14 AD, dedicated to Augustus, Rome, and the goddess Concordia. The only preserved Roman temple in Croatia, it was converted into a Christian church in the 5th century and then into an archaeological museum in 1946. The restored inscription 'IMP·CAESARI·AVGUSTO·DIVI·F·PONTIFICI·MAXIMO·IMPERATORI·XXVI·COS·XII·TRIB·POT·XIX' on its pediment might hold a key to your investigation into James Joyce in Pula.

Your path then leads you to the Pula Amphitheater, the 6th largest preserved Roman amphitheater, built between 27 and 68 AD under Augustus and Claudius. With a capacity of 23,000 spectators and elliptical dimensions of 132 m x 105 m by 29 m high, it hosted games and executions until the 5th century. Its underground cages (hypogeum) are still intact. Although James Joyce left no direct writings about this monument, its grandeur testifies to Roman power in Pula, a context that undoubtedly marked the writer's mind during his stay in 1904. This site is a UNESCO candidate, an unmissable monument of Istria.

The Riva of Pula, a 700 m coastal promenade built in the late 19th century under Austrian rule, offers a striking contrast. Lined with neoclassical hotels and cafes, it has been a social hub since 1880, modeled after Trieste's Riva. From here, you admire the port and the amphitheater, a perfect setting for summer festivals. Your quest for the manuscript will then lead you to the Gradska knjižnica i čitaonica Pula, the municipal library founded in 1802. Housed since 1843 in the former 14th-century Franciscan convent, it holds 150,000 volumes, including 16th-century incunabula. It is here, within these historic walls, that James Joyce taught in 1904-1905, leaving traces of his passage for your Pula scavenger hunt.

The journey concludes in Ulica Sergijevaca, a 300 m medieval cobbled street, named after the Sergii family, connecting the Arch of the Sergii to the Forum. This main thoroughfare of the historic district, 5-7 m wide, is lined with 18th-century baroque facades and shops dating back to 1500. Once a Roman then Venetian commercial center, it embodies Pula's historical continuity. By solving the final riddle in this lively street, you piece together the secret of Joyce's lost manuscript. This interactive tour of Pula is a unique opportunity to discover the history of Pula, from its Roman heritage to its Austrian legacy, all while following in the footsteps of one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. It's a thematic circuit in Istria ideal for a family visit to Pula.