Historic Roman City of Pula

We are using beautiful Rovinj as our base so we can explore other parts of the Istria Peninsula of Croatia.  After checking out  Rovinj yesterday, we picked up our rental car this morning and headed out on our first road-trip, to Pula.  Pula's big draw is it has the top Roman ruins in Croatia, including a fully intact Colosseum.  With our Tom Tom activated, we easily found the center of town and parked the car.  We spent the afternoon in the Old Town wandering down the narrow, stone slab streets and finishing off the day with a tour of Pula's main attraction, the Roman Colosseum.  It was built over several decades and three Roman Emperor's in 1st century and remained active until the beginning of the fifth century, when gladiator battles were outlawed.  The Colosseum is the sixth largest remaining in the world and one of the best preserved.  It has four rectangular towers anchoring the amphitheater's facade which were also unique.  They once held wooden staircases for loading and unloading the amphitheater more quickly.  At the top of each  tower was a water reservoir used for sprinkling perfumed water on the spectators to help mask the stench of blood coming from the "slaying field".  Sand was also used to absorb blood spilled by man and beast as they fought each other in the oval center surrounded by 25,000 screaming fans.  The sand (barena) gave the amphitheater its nickname...arena.       

Pula became an important outpost for the Roman Empire in 177BC and still has many ruins and artifacts from that era. As with most of Croatia, Pula has been ruled by foreign powers since the 3rd century BC that included the Romans, Goths, Hungarians,Venetians, Ottomans, Austrians, French and Yugoslavs.  Only in 1991 did Croatia finally gain its independence. 

After such a heavy history day it was great to get back to Rovinj and relax with drink in one of the outdoor cafes on the waterfront. 

 The Arch of Sergius, from the 1st century BC, was one of the gates of the original Roman town wall

The Temple of Augustus, built during the reign of and dedicated to Augustus Caesar in the 1st century

 Pula lunch specialty, toasted bread with tomato sauce, cheese and assorted toppings.  MMMM tasty!!

 The Roman Colosseum from the outside.  The road in front is part of the original leading to Rome