Forum

The Forum is the old central square of Pula, in the south of Istria, and it has been the centre of public life in the city for more than two thousand years. When the Romans founded their colony here, they placed the forum near the harbour, at the crossing of the main streets, and it became the setting for markets, trials, religious ceremonies and political gatherings. The space is still the centre of the old town, now called Narodni trg, the People's Square, and it is lined with cafes, shops and public buildings, so that history and daily life sit side by side.

The Roman square was a rectangle of about the size of a modern football pitch, paved with stone and surrounded by colonnades, with temples at one end. Two of the temples were built close to each other on the north-west side. The Temple of Augustus, which is described in a separate entry in this guide, survives in good condition, rebuilt after damage in the Second World War, and next to it stood a smaller temple, dedicated to Diana, of which only part of the rear wall remains. Later builders incorporated it into the town hall, the Communal Palace, which dates from the Middle Ages and has a Renaissance facade. In this way, the town hall literally rests on Roman stonework, and you can see the old wall with its columns from the side street.

Walking across the square, you notice how the buildings of different periods fit together: the Roman temple, the medieval palace with its arcade, Venetian houses and later facades. The pavement still follows the line of the Roman square, and traces of the old streets and the drains can be seen elsewhere in the old town. The square is a place for events, including concerts and festivals in summer, open-air screenings and public celebrations, and local people gather here to watch major sports matches on a big screen, so the atmosphere changes with the season and the day.

Cafes and restaurants line the edge of the square, and sitting at a table with a coffee, you can look across at the temple, the palace and the people passing. The square is also a hub for walking tours, and it is close to other Roman monuments listed in this guide, including the Arch of Sergii, the Twin Gates, the Roman theatre and the Arena, the great amphitheatre that is the symbol of Pula. A statue of the writer James Joyce, who taught English in Pula in 1904 and 1905, sits on a nearby street, outside a cafe named after Ulysses.

The Forum is open at all hours and free. Evening, when the temple is lit and the cafes fill, is especially atmospheric, but mornings are quiet. Allow thirty minutes for the square and the buildings, and more for a coffee. It suits history lovers, photographers and anyone who enjoys lively historic squares.