Piran, surrounded by its imposing city walls, is the most picturesque Old Town along the Slovenian coast. Narrow, atmospheric cobblestone streets wind between Venetian Gothic architecture and other mediaeval attractions.
Piran is Slovenia’s most westerly coastal town, situated on the southern extremity of a small peninsula. The city walls of the gothic old town overlook the scenic Trieste Gulf where the gulf opens to the Adriatic, providing 180° panoramic views of the coast. Piran’s location made it vulnerable to occupation by a succession of foreign powers which have influenced Piran’s townscape. Many of the gothic attractions remain joined by attractions of more recent construction.
Piran’s old town can be enjoyed as an authentic gothic centre although much of Piran’s gothic architecture has been succeeded by renovation or construction using design and style of later periods.
A Brief Glance at the History of Piran
As is the case of most of the towns and cities along the Adriatic coast of Slovenia and Croatia, Piran has been both occupied by superior rulerships but also prospered from them. The Romans centred trade on Piran due to the production of salt from the salt pans at Sečovlje. Byzantine influences during the Middle Ages were replaced by the Republic of Venice during the 13th Century.
Venice was the power in the region and Piran benefitted from trade and the medieval influence Venice had on its architecture, urbanisation and culture. The Venetians fell to Austria-Hungary, specifically the Habsburg Monarchy in 1797, then the French, to be regained by the Austria-Hungary Empire. Once again, trade and the salt produced near Portoroz was a valuable acquisition for the aggressors, whereas Piran gained access to advances in administration.
Gothic Piran
Examples of Secular Gothic in Piran
The stereotype of Gothic structure is often associated with grand religious buildings with flying buttresses, stained glass windows, ogival arches and rib vaults. It is usually a little more difficult to identify smaller buildings as gothic if those features are not prominent. However, Venetian architecture favoured secular buildings. The Republic of Venice ruled over the eastern Adriatic coast between the 13th and 18th centuries so Piran had more than mere geographical ties to Venice. Consequently, if you have already been to Venice you’ll readily observe the Venetian influence on some of Piran’s gothic architecture. Influences can be seen in the design of buildings, squares, and narrow streets.
The residences in the images above and below exhibit the oogee arch as well as the coloured external walls. Both are associated with the Islamic influence on Venetian gothic arising from exposure to new influences through trade. If you are interested in the legacy of the Gothic period you may be interested in ostenibly the oldest city in Slovenia Ptuj And Its Roman And Medieval Past.
Note the grotesques projecting from the façade of the building in the following images.
The building located on Tartini Square that draws most attention is the ‘Venetian House’, another example of residential gothic.
Venetian House
When you stand in front of the Venetian house, now a museum, you are looking at the façade of a residence that would not be out of place in Venice. The Venetian house, also known as the Benečanka, was erected mid-15th Century by an influential family, the Del Bellos. Try to pick out the gothic features.
The image on the right has been processed to better delineate the details of the façade of the Venetian House
The first thing to note is the colour. This could be the Islamic influence on Venetian gothic. The eye is then captured by the line of pointed windows, the arch being reminiscent of Byzantine styles (the ogee window). The columns are surmounted by foliate capitals and the three windows are separated by stone rosettes. The traceries of the truncated arches of the upper windows are gothic. The robust sills are supported by corbels which themselves feature carvings of a lion head. The windows are separated by a carved lion head, perhaps a grotesque. The lion is the symbol of the Republic of Venice.
The balcony on the left is adjacent to the lower windows and sits on corbels that predate the Renaissance corbel. The straight balusters could easily resemble colonnettes. The primary uprights are capped with a human bust.
Narrow Cobblestone Streets of Gothic Piran
It is not usual to draw attention to the thoroughfares that run through an Old Town as a primary attraction, but in the case of Piran, it is. We have visited many of the historical centres along the Adriatic coast but are of the opinion that when it comes to maintaining the authenticity of the pedestrian lanes and corridors, Piran has them all covered.
The following image represents the gothic ogival arches which are numerous throughout Piran.
Take some time to stroll through Piran, paying attention to the surface you walk on. Struggle to find enough room in some of the narrow lanes to enable you to back up far enough to be able to see the upper facades of the houses and buildings you pass. Some of the alleys are barely shoulder width.
If you have already been to Venice you’ll readily observe the Venetian influence on some of Piran’s architecture. It is only to be expected. The Republic of Venice ruled over the eastern Adriatic coast between the 15th and 18th centuries so PIran had more than mere historical ties to Venice. Influences can be seen in the design of buildings, squares, and narrow streets.
One of the most common features in Venice is the above ground walkway that bridges between houses and buildings. These are not unique to Venice but are seen in many Italian cities. However, their incorporation into Piran’s urban structure is another evidence of Venetian influence.
A very Venetian feature also found in mediaeval Piran is the sottoportego, a pedestrian walkway that tunnels through the first floor of a building. Sottoporteghi are common throughout Venice but are of particular historical interest through the Jewish Ghetto.
Gothic Squares
There are a number of gothic squares in Piran. The original Town Hall was located in the 1st of May Square and so the square until the 13th Century was the administrative centre of Piran. A stone cistern, built in 1776 in the shape of a large rectangle after the severe draught in 1775, is unmissable in the centre of the square. It is surrounded by four statues. The larger statues, representing law and justice, were receptacles for rain water that washed down from adjacent rooves.
May 1 Square
The Jewish Quarter in the Gothic Years
The Jewish Quarter is tucked away behind the May 1 Square. Its build is based on the Venetian ghetto.
The history of the Jews in Piran is contemporaneous with that of Venice and we can infer for the same reasons. The Jewish community is known to have resided in Piran in 1391, but their arrival could have been earlier.
As was the case in Venice, Jews were prohibited from owning property. The accent on their occupation was population density and so they shared multi-storey buildings which affected their living conditions. The relatively small area of the Jewish Quarter comprised three courtyards and was gated, as was the case of Venice. The authenticity of the original dwellings has been lost to modern renovations but the scale of the community remains. A read of our post on the Jewish Ghetto in Venice will provide relevant information.
City Walls of Gothic Piran
If you are interested in visiting a mediaeval Old Town enclosed within city walls then you will be pleased when you visit Piran. The walls that encircled the historical centre of Piran were constructed for protection against invaders and to a lesser extent, pirates. The Balkan coastline experienced conflict between competing powers over many centuries, particularly the Byzantines, Ottomans and Venetians. Whereas several cities ruled the Adriatic coast over its long, complex history, Venice is the power most closely associated with the region due to its influence over trade, commerce and culture (see Kotor, Budva).
The stone fortifications at Piran date back to the 7th century but over the centuries the walls were reinforced and extended. The earliest section of the wall, for example, is still visible along Piran old town’s southern perimeter. Additionally, seven gothic gates still stand, albeit in varying condition. Venice absorbed Piran into its own conflicts during the 13th century and additional fortifications were constructed to strengthen protection. The third phase of building, which included the major reinforcement and extension of the wall, occurred between the 15th and 16th century when Venice was a powerful presence along the Adriatic coast. This part of the Piran city wall accommodated the introduction of firearms, and towers and bastions remain.
The city wall is now disconnected into several sections but they are still very prominent. The structure of the wall, with ogival arches, gates and an emphasis on verticality, announces Piran’s reputation as a gothic city.
Part of the wall guarding Piran is high above the old town. This section of the wall is accessible for visitors to walk along and with an average height of about 5 metres offers exceptional panoramic views of Piran and the Adriatic Sea. Other sections of the wall surrounding mediaeval Piran appear during an exploration of the historical centre. The image shows how the Piran city wall defines one side of the street in the lower area of the Old Town.
A view of the wall from the sea level of the Old Town identifies its height above the city and reveals its crenellations against the sky background.
Remnants of the wall can also be seen at the same location. Two images have been posted side-by-side to identify the wall along the coastline near St Georges church. Match the crenellations in the two images to establish perspective.
From Gothic Piran to Neo-Renaissance
Gothic, as we know, is a non-classical style of architecture. It cast off the heavy forms of the Romanesque during the 12th Century and instead sought to promote flair by increasing light and reducing mass. But after three or four centuries of successful implementation, Italian architecture swung back to the conservative forms of the classical periods. The Renaissance structures re-emerged equipped with a stricter code of design based on proportion and symmetry.
Venice was slow to respond to the changes which were occurring in Florence and so Venice’s influence on classical Piran was not as significant as was its gothic. Nevertheless classical features and facades can be seen throughout Piran due to renovation and restoration of former gothic structures which had been damaged by conflict and deterioration. Look for semi-circular window arches in association with architraves and pediments distributed symmetrically across the façade.
The Baroque style succeeded the Renaissance during the 16th Century. It was a product of the Roman Catholic Church’s response in 1545-1563 to the Protestant Reformation. Art and architecture was used to reign in the faithful and to build trust in the Church. The Baroque style; bold, exaggerated and extravagant; seemed a suitable medium to gain their attention. The Baroque in Piran is particularly evident in church interiors.
Tartini Square
The place to observe the evolution away from the gothic to the neo-classical in Piran is Tartini Square. The elevated position of the section of the city wall above Piran gives first glimpses of Tartini Square, one of the major attractions in Piran.
The square presents as the focus of a small city off which runs a labyrinth of narrow, mediaeval lanes and walkways. A contemporary port is adjacent to the square. Cafes, restaurants and shops are located both on the square and nearby, and so the square is the natural location for congregating and entertainment.
The square honours its favourite citizen, Giuseppe Tartini, a violinist and composer born in Piran in 1692. The statue of Giuseppe Tartini provides the ideal meeting point for friends and tourists.
Piran was a fishing port and Tartini Square is the site of the original harbour. The area was reclaimed for very obvious reasons. The square is now surrounded by administrative and historical buildings of varying architecture. These range from the gothic to neo-Renaissance. They include, among others, the Town Hall, Venetian House and Tartini House.
The buildings of interest in the image are the Town Hall (left), the red Venetian House (centre), and the cream Tartini House (right behind umbrellas). The building located on Tartini Square that draws most attention is the Venetian House, another example of residential gothic.
Tartini House
The Tartini House, obviously the birth place of Giuseppe Tartini, is just along from the Venetian house.
Tartini House has been labelled as gothic but this refers to its original form first mentioned in 1384. It certainly seems to have lost some strong gothic characteristics although the hood moulding above the windows originated in the Romanesque and was continued in the Gothic. Smaller windows often defined the upper floor in Renaissance buildings. The rounded arches of the distinctive first floor, a line of evenly spaced windows and the general symmetry and balance of the building partly defined by the placement of the pilasters can be associated with a neoclassical remodelling. Information inside the museum states that; “The house is now the seat of the Italian community in Slovenia and it is used as a venue for cultural projects, a gallery, and museum. The museum part displays Tartini’s violin, a copper plate engraving of his dreams, and his portrait”.
The Piran Town Hall
The northern side of Tartini Square is dominated by buildings of grander scale. One of these is the Town Hall, the seat of local government and administration. The Town Hall dates back to the late 13th Century, but has undergone several renovations and expansions over the centuries.
Piran’s Town Hall is now an example of a 19th Century shift in architecture to the Renaissance, and the latter Neo-Renaissance. Neoclassical architecture returned to the classical after the Baroque. It brought a focus on the strict principles borrowed from Greece and Rome such as proportion, symmetry, and the repetition of regular parts. Neo-Renaissance design introduced a broader interpretation to include Mannerism, Baroque and some Romanesque element . The style has been described as ‘Italian’ being a synthesis of the three major styles. Consequently, the Town Hall building, refashioned in 1879 by Giovanni Righetti, will remind of the Renaissance but with features which are a mix of other architectural styles.
Some of the elements seen on the building’s façade that associate with Neo-Renaissance architecture include the symmetrical, cubic composition; the arched, recessed windows with architraves and door mounted on the entablature; the difference in the ground floor’s texture and this floor’s division from the upper floors by a belt; non-functional decorative pilasters at the edges of the building headed by ionic capitals.; and the strong use of central columns with Corinthian capitals and entablature.
What seems to be missing is a pediment to surmount the entablature, and both triangular and rounded pediments to replace the corbelled window hoods. The central balcony and ornate entablature draws the eye towards the centre as does the vertical alignment of the windows and doors behind the columns. A stone bas-relief of a lion, the symbol of the Republic of Venice, decorates the balcony as do ornate decorations of the columns. In other words, this building seems to have wandered off the stricter controls of the neoclassical.
The Piran Courthouse
The courthouse was constructed between 1886 and 1891. The courthouse displays the essential elements of a classical building but the ornamentation of the façade suggests it is another candidate for Neo-Renaissance architecture. The design elements of this truly beautiful building can be compared with those of the town hall.
Trevisini Palace
The Trevisini Palace was built in 1826. Selected elements of the building are associated with the Renaissance but its features differ from those of the Neo-Renaissance. The building of the Trevisini Palace preceded the Neo-Renaissance and so by both date of build and characteristics Trevisini Palace is a Neo-Classical building.
The first thing we notice about the palace is that compared to the Town Hall it has clean lines and façade. Rational design has taken precedence over embellishment. This style has returned to the deliberate, harmonious, precise and symmetrical layout of the classical. All the elements appear to mirror each other, uninterrupted by projecting or distracting ornamentation.
The ground floor, separated from the upper floors by a belt, signals the classical by its large, semi-circular arches. The portal is covered by a columned portico, a defining element in Renaissance architecture.
Each section of windows in the upper floors is proportional, the windows being evenly spaced. Pediments rather than simple window hoods are placed above the windows and the larger pediment with ocular window defines a central façade.
Stucco and masonry are molded and sculpted to provide a smooth finish that bespeaks classical elegance.
Final Thoughts About Piran Charms As A Gothic Attraction
Piran with its medieval old town is certainly worth visiting. The imposing city walls that overlook narrow, atmospheric cobblestone streets which wind between Venetian Gothic buildings and other historical attractions make for an inviting day of exploration.
