Piran : Slovenia
Piran (Italian Pirano) is a town and municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast. The municipality has 16,758 (2002) inhabitants and covers a 46.6 km2 area. The town has 4,576 (2002) inhabitants on an 1 km2 area. The municipality borders on the south with Croatia, on the north (on the sea) with Italy and on the east with the municipalities of Izola and Koper. The highest peak is 289 m high (Baretovec pri Padni). The municipality’s festival is on the 15 October, which celebrates the foundation of the first naval detachment Koper in the year 1944. The municipality has also a small international airport, which has a 1200 m runway, which will be expanded, and also a marina.
Piran is an old Mediterranean town situated at the tip of the Piran peninsula. The town resembles a large open-air museum, with medieval architecture and a rich culture heritage. Narrow streets and compact houses give the town its special charm. Piran is the administrative centre of the local area and one of Slovenia’s major tourist attractions.
Piran is the birthplace of composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (born April 8, 1692), who played an important role in shaping its cultural heritage. The town’s main square, Tartinijev trg, is named after him.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Tartini’s birth, the people of Piran decided to erect a monument in his honour. Venetian artist Antonio dal Zotto was commissioned to create the larger-than-life bronze statue of the “maestro”, which was eventually mounted on its pedestal in 1896. The statue dominates the square, overlooked by the Cathedral of St. George.
