Pula

While evidence of the Roman Empire was somewhat hidden in Split within the remains of Diocletian's Palace, that was not the case in Pula.  Here, Roman architecture and artifacts are front and center. Case in point -- the Roman Amphitheater that is one of the best preserved in the world. While not as large as the Colosseum in Rome, it was completed about the same time around AD 80.  Every summer, there is the Pula Music Festival which holds nightly concerts with various bands and DJs for a week.  That's happening this week, and while we aren't attending, we did pass through all of the festival areas and saw the concert stage set up in the middle of the amphitheater.

Pula has also preserved its Forum (main square).  Here we found the Temple of Augustus built in the first century AD. Immediately adjacent to it is the medieval-era Town Hall, showing the architectural evolution here in Pula.  We also passed through the Arch of Sergius, which actually dates back to first century BC.  It's amazing to see these structures still standing knowing that they are all over 2,000 years old.

Our final Roman find of the day was an old Roman floor mosaic that dates to the third century AD.  It was discovered while cleaning up from World War II bombings.  It has been carefully excavated and is displayed exactly where it was found -- several feet below the current ground level -- illustrating how the City was built upwards over time.

One of the great fortunes of travel is to not only see new places but also experience different cultures and learn about shared histories.  We learned in school about the Roman Empire and how large it was, but seeing the evidence in so many different places that we've traveled to really demonstrates just how large and advanced the Roman Empire was in its day.  Amazing.

Roman Mosaic Tile Floor