Pula | Croatia
Situated near the base of the Istrian peninsula, the population of Pula stands at just over 62,000 making it the largest city in Istria. Its most famous attraction, the well preserved Roman amphitheatre, is one of the most famous sights in the whole of Croatia. Although the amphitheatre in the town announces Pula’s Roman origins, its history in fact stretches far, far beyond this period. Archeological findings in the area suggest that Pula’s history stretches back to 40,000 or even 1 million years BC! It was however in the 11th century BC that Pula rose to prominence when it became a major settlement for the Illyrian tribe the Histri. After expansion by the Roman Empire into Istria in 177 BC, in 40 BC Pula became a Roman colony and grew rapidly during the years 27 BC to AD 14 under Emperor Caesar Augustus. During this time several important buildings were constructed (including the amphitheatre) and the town rose in strategic and economic significance for the Romans, with local trade becoming rather important. Author James Joyce stayed in Pula for five months from October 1904. He came to Pula to teach English to Austrian officers at the Berlitz language school. Despite calling Pula a “naval Siberia”, he is thought to have written part of his first novel Stephen Hero there, was well as working on his classic A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. A bronze James Joyce now sits at Uliks (Ulysses) cafe in Pula.