Koper
Koper
Capodistria | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Koper from above | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Koper Location of the city of Koper in Slovenia | |
| Coordinates:45°33′N13°44′E/ 45.550°N 13.733°E | |
| Country |  Slovenia |
| Traditional region | Slovene Littoral |
| Statistical region | Coastal-Karst |
| Region | Slovene Istria |
| Municipality | City Municipality of Koper |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Aleš Bržan (LAB) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.0 km2(5.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
| • Total | 25,753 |
| • Rank | 5th |
| • Density | 2,000/km2(5,100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02(CEST) |
| Postal code | 6000 |
| Area code | +386 (0)5 |
| Vehicle registration | KP |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | www |
| [1] | |
Koper(Slovene:[ˈkòːpəɾ];Italian:Capodistria) is the fifth-largest city inSlovenia.Located in theIstrian regionin the southwestern part of the country, Koper is the main urban center of the Slovene coast.Port of Koperis the country's only container port and a major contributor to the economy of theMunicipality of Koper.The city is a destination for a number of Mediterranean cruising lines.
Koper is also one of the main road entry points into Slovenia from Italy, which lies to the north of the municipality. The main motorway crossing is atSpodnje Škofijeto the north of the city of Koper. The motorway continues into Rabuiese andTrieste.Koper also has a rail connection with the capital city,Ljubljana.On the coast, there is a crossing at Lazaret into Lazzaretto inMuggiamunicipality inTrieste province.The Italian border crossing is known as San Bartolomeo.
Sights
[edit]Major sights in Koper include the 15th-centuryPraetorian PalaceandLoggiainVenetian Gothicstyle, the 12th-centuryCarmine Rotundachurch, and St. Nazarius' Cathedral, with its 14th-century tower.
Names
[edit]The Italian name of the city was anciently written asCapo d'Istria,[2]and is reported on maps and sources in other European languages as such. Ancient names of the city includeÆgidiaandJustinopolis.[3]Modern names of the city includeCroatian:Kopar,Serbian:Копар,romanized:Kopar,and‹See Tfd›German:Gafers.The Slovene-speaking population calls the cityKoper.The Slavic-speaking population, present in the area since at least thelate 7th century,[4]largely relied on oral tradition up to theinvention of printing.The Slovenian nameKoperwas first attested in writing in 1557, but with the spellingCopper.[5]
History
[edit]
Koper began as a settlement built on an island in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Koper in the northern Adriatic. CalledInsula Caprea(Goat Island) orCaproby Roman settlers, it developed into the city of Aegida,[2]which was mentioned by the Roman authorPliny the Elderin hisNaturalis Historia(Natural History) (iii. 19. s. 23).[6]
In 568, Roman citizens of nearby Tergeste (modernTrieste) fled to Aegida due to an invasion of theLombards.In honour of theByzantine EmperorJustinian II,the town was renamedJustinopolis.[2]Later, Justinopolis was under both Lombard andFrankishrule and was briefly occupied byAvarsin the 8th century.
Since at least the 8th century (and possibly as early as the 6th century) Koper was the seat of adiocese.One of Koper's bishops was theLutheranreformerPier Paolo Vergerio.In 1828, it was merged into theDiocese of Trieste.
Trade between Koper andVenicehas been recorded since 932. In the war between Venice and theHoly Roman Empire,Koper was on the latter side, and as a result was awarded withtown rights,granted in 1035 by EmperorConrad II.After 1232, Koper was under thePatriarch of Aquileia,and in 1278 it joined theRepublic of Venice.It was at this time that the city walls and towers were partly demolished.[7]
In 1420, the Patriarch of Aquileia ceded his remaining possessions inIstriato the Republic, consolidating Venetian power in Koper.[8]
Koper grew to become the capital of VenetianIstriaand was renamedCaput Histriae'head of Istria' (from which stems its modern Italian name,Capodistria).
The 16th century saw the population of Koper fall drastically, from its high of between 10,000 and 12,000 inhabitants, due to repeated plague epidemics.[9]When Trieste became a free port in 1719, Koper lost its monopoly on trade, and its importance diminished further.[10]
According to the 1900 census, 7,205 Italian, 391 Slovenian, 167 Croatian, and 67 German inhabitants lived in Koper.
Assigned to Italy from Austria-Hungary after World War I, at the end of World War II it was part of the Zone B of theFree Territory of Trieste,controlled byYugoslavia.Most of the Italian inhabitants left the city by 1954, when theFree Territory of Triesteformally ceased to exist and Zone B became part ofSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.In 1977, theRoman Catholic Diocese of Koperwas separated from theDiocese of Trieste.
WithSlovenian independencein 1991, Koper became the only commercial port inSlovenia.TheUniversity of Primorskais based in the city.
The influence of the Port of Koper on tourism was one of the factors inAnkarandeciding to leave the municipality in areferendumin 2011 to establish its own municipality.
Architecture
[edit]
Koper's 15th-century Praetorian Palace is located on the city square. It was built from two older 13th-century houses that were connected by a loggia, rebuilt many times, and then finished as a Venetian Gothic palace. Today, it is home to the city of Koper's tourist office.[11]
The city'sCathedral of the Assumptionwas built in the second half of the 12th century and has one of the oldest bells in Slovenia (from 1333), cast by Nicolò and Martino, the sons of Master Giacomo ofVenice.[12][13]The upper terrace is periodically open and offers a great view of theBay of Trieste.In the middle of it hangs theSacra Conversationepainting from 1516, one of the bestRenaissancepaintings in Slovenia, made byVittore Carpaccio.[14]
Climate
[edit]Koper has ahumid subtropical climate(Cfa). There is a substantial amount of rainfall in Koper, even in the driest month, with each month averaging well over 60 mm (2.4 in). This climate is considered to be Cfa according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The average temperature in Koper is 14.4 °C (57.9 °F). The average annual rainfall is 988 millimetres (39 in).
| Climate data for Koper (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.0 (64.4) |
20.8 (69.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
29.3 (84.7) |
33.0 (91.4) |
36.8 (98.2) |
37.6 (99.7) |
38.8 (101.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
29.1 (84.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
19.1 (66.4) |
38.8 (101.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
10.3 (50.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
18.4 (65.1) |
23.1 (73.6) |
27.3 (81.1) |
29.7 (85.5) |
29.8 (85.6) |
25.0 (77.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.9 (42.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
18.4 (65.1) |
22.7 (72.9) |
24.8 (76.6) |
24.6 (76.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
7.1 (44.8) |
15.0 (59.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
14.2 (57.6) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
20.2 (68.4) |
16.3 (61.3) |
12.3 (54.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
4.4 (39.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.8 (14.4) |
−12.7 (9.1) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
0.4 (32.7) |
3.7 (38.7) |
8.1 (46.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
10.2 (50.4) |
5.9 (42.6) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−12.7 (9.1) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 51 (2.0) |
58 (2.3) |
54 (2.1) |
63 (2.5) |
82 (3.2) |
91 (3.6) |
72 (2.8) |
71 (2.8) |
124 (4.9) |
121 (4.8) |
118 (4.6) |
84 (3.3) |
988 (38.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.1 mm) | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 121 |
| Source:Slovenian Environment Agency[15] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]
In the past, Italian was the most common language spoken in the town, but its presence decreased sharply after Slovenian Istria was incorporated into Yugoslavia in 1954, with most of the ethnic Italians leaving the town.
Today, Koper is officially bilingual, with bothSloveneandItalianas its official languages, with Italian being mainly used as a secondary language by the Slovene-speaking majority.Slovenedominates with virtually all citizens speaking it, followed by pockets of speakers ofItalianandCroatian.
Sports
[edit]The mainassociation footballclub isFC Koper,who currently play in theSlovenian PrvaLiga,the top flight ofSlovenian football,having won it once.
Port
[edit]
First established during theRoman Empire,the Port of Koper has played an important role in the development of the area. It is among the largest in the region and is one of the most important transit routes for goods heading fromAsiato central Europe. In contrast with other European ports, which are managed by port authorities, the activities of the Port of Koper comprise the management of the free zone area, the management of the port area, and the role of terminal operator.
Prominent citizens
[edit]- Gian Rinaldo Carli(1720–1795), man of letters
- Vittore Carpaccio(c. 1460– c. 1525), painter. Born inVenice,lived in Koper (thenCapodistria)
- Vittorio Italico Zupelli(1859–1945), Italian general and minister
- Vlatko Čančar(born 1997), professional basketball player
- Lucija Čok(born 1941), linguist, politician
- Zlatko Dedić(born 1984), football player
- Domenico da Capodistria(born late 14th century), architect
- Lorella Flego(born 1974), TV entertainer
- Enej Jelenič(born 1992), footballer
- Ioannis Kapodistrias(1776–1831), Greek patriot and first governor of the Greek state (1828–1831) his family hailed originally from Koper/Capodistria
- Andreja Klepač(born 1986), professional tennis player
- Tinkara Kovač(born 1978), singer
- Matjaž Markič(born 1983), swimmer
- Dragan Marušič(born 1953), former rector of the University of Primorska
- Davor Mizerit(born 1981), rower
- Igor Pribac(born 1958), philosopher
- Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini(1910–1965), journalist and writer. Born inPazin(thenPisino), lived in Koper (thenCapodistria)[16][17]
- Mladen Rudonja(born 1971), football player
- Tomaž Šalamun(1941–2014), poet
- Santorio Santorio(1561–1636), medical scientist
- Nazario Sauro(1880–1916), Italian irredentist and sailor
- Spartaco Schergat(1920–1996), military frogman, caused damage to the British battleshipQueen Elizabethin 1941. Italian gold medal in the Second World War[18]
- Damir Skomina(born 1976),football referee
- Francesco Trevisani(1656–1746), painter
- Pier Paolo Vergerio the Elder(1370–1444/1445), humanist, statesman and canonist[19]
- Pier Paolo Vergeriothe Younger (1498–1565), man of the Church
- Gašper Vinčec(born 1981), professional Finn Class Sailor
- Bruno Zago,footballer (born 1919)
- Vittorio Italico Zupelli(1859–1945), general, minister
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]
Buzet,Croatia
Ferrara,Italy
Jiujiang,China- Muggia,Italy
- San Dorligo della Valle,Italy
Žilina,Slovakia
References
[edit]- ^ab"Koper".Prebivalstvo - izbrani kazalniki, naselja, Slovenija, letno.Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.Retrieved22 December2017.
- ^abcJohn Everett-Heath (13 September 2018).The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names.OUP Oxford. p. 989.ISBN978-0-19-256243-2.
- ^Hopkins, Daniel J. (2001).Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, vol. 10.Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. p. 604.
- ^"Storia di Capodistria".City of Koper. Archived fromthe originalon 22 March 2021.Retrieved22 March2021.
- ^Golec, Boris (2015)."Najzgodnejše omembe Istre, Trsta in Primorja v slovenskih besedilih"(PDF).Acta Histriae.23(4): 678.ISSN1318-0185.Retrieved22 March2021.
- ^Pliny the Elder. Jeffrey Henderson (ed.).Natural History.Harvard University Press.Retrieved13 December2019.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^"A Historical Outline of Istria".Zrs-kp.si. Archived fromthe originalon 6 April 2009.Retrieved27 March2010.
- ^Schutte, Anne Jacobson: Pier Paolo Vergerio: the making of an Italian reformer; p23.Books.google.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^Schutte, Anne Jacobson; p24.Books.google.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^"History of Koper – Lonely Planet Travel Information".Lonelyplanet.com. Archived fromthe originalon 10 May 2020.Retrieved27 March2010.
- ^"Praetorian Palace, Koper, The Official Travel Guide".Slovenian Tourist Board.Retrieved4 July2012.
- ^Semi, Francesco (1933). "Il duomo di Capodistria".Atti e memorie della Società istriana di archeologia e storia patria.45.Pula: 169.
- ^Ranieri, Mario Cossar (1929)."Lungo le coste Adriatiche: Giustinopoli, gemma de l'Istria".Le vie d'Italia e dell'America latina.35(1). Milan: 88.Retrieved11 September2020.
- ^"Cathedral of the Assumption, Koper, The Official Travel Guide".Slovenian Tourist Board.Retrieved4 July2012.
- ^"Koper Podnebne statistike 1950-2020"(in Slovenian). Slovenian Environmental Agency. Archived fromthe originalon 24 October 2023.Retrieved24 October2023.
- ^"Portale multimediale della Comunità italiana di Isola"(PDF).Retrieved8 December2009.[dead link]
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).www.retecivica.trieste.it.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 September 2004.Retrieved17 January2022.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^Article in Italian about the sinking of the battleshipQueen ElizabethArchived7 May 2006 at theWayback Machine
- ^Press on "Vergerius, Petrus Paulus"[permanent dead link].Istrianet.org. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^"Odgovori na vprašanja članic in članov občinskega sveta"(PDF).koper.si(in Slovenian). Mestna občina Koper. 9 January 2021. p. 4.Retrieved6 June2023.
External links
[edit]
Media related toKoperat Wikimedia Commons- Koper on Geopedia
Kopertravel guide from Wikivoyage- Koper–Capodistria.Slovenian Tourist Board.
- Koper: Virtual Tour.Panoramas of Koper and surrounding area. Burger.si.
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