Pula Favorites

Favorite thing: A close up on interlaced wine grapes carved on the front on a beginning-of-the-20th century building. I have been unable to establish if that was stone carved or plaster molded but I would bet it is plaster molded.

Favorite thing: These two buildings wear a more sober look. But, again, it is a symphony of pastel colors with on the left, a light but rich caramel front and on the right a distinguished pale grey with strips of pale blue-grey. A pleasure for the eyes !

Favorite thing: The fortress has been built in 1631 on a four branches star like plan with powerful bastions. The architect was Antoine DEVILLE, a French military engineer that was hired by the "Serenissime Republic of Venice". An alley that runs from ulica Sergievaca to ulica Castropola has been given his name.

Nota 1 : he may be a descendant of captain Antoine DEVILLE who on June 26, 1492, originated modern mountaineering by succeeding, with seven companions and by order of King Charles VIII of France, the first ascent of the Mont Aiguille which was said to be inaccessible. The Mont Aiguille, 2086 meters high, is located at the East of the Vercors mountains, 40 km South of Grenoble city.

Nota 2 : he does not seem to be related with Henri-Etienne Sainte-Claire DEVILLE (1818-1881) who worked on the metallurgy of aluminum, and devised the first commercial process of producing the metal.

Favorite thing: View from the Kastel on a luxury five masts sail boat that cruises in the whole central and eastern Mediterranean, along Istrian, Dalmatian and Greek coasts. We have seen it (or are there several ?) several times. It is so large that it cannot enter in every harbors; In Rovinj, it was anchored at the entrance of the bay !

Favorite thing: On the left of the picture, a part of the harbor shows, with two cranes. In the middle is the cathedral, on Sveti tome trg. In the foreground, bottom of the picture, two of the canons that had been set to protect the fortress are still there !

Favorite thing: The industrial harbor of Pula is very busy. Here five cranes are working together to load and unload the boats. I have not found any data on the nature of the main imports and exports of the harbor. I keep searching.

Favorite thing: This North-Westwards view is seen from ramparts of the kastel (fortress). It shows on the left, the arena and on the right the bell-tower of a church. The sea is on the left, not showing in picture. The ramparts of the kastel appear in the foreground.

Favorite thing: Herkulova vrata (Hercules's gate) was built in the first century AD. It bears the name of Hercules's gate following the carved head it has on top (not seen clearly on the picture) and that is considered to represent Hercules.