Novigrad, Istria County

Novigrad
—  City  —
City of Novigrad Grad Novigrad - Città di Cittanova[1]
Panorama of Novigrad
Coat of arms
Novigrad Location of Novigrad within Croatia
Coordinates: 45°19′N 13°33′E / 45.317°N 13.55°E / 45.317; 13.55
Country	Croatia
County	Istria
Government
- Mayor	Anteo Miloš, (IDS)
Area
- Total	27 km2 (10.4 sq mi)
Population (2001)
- Total	4,002
- Density	148/km2 (383.3/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	52 466
Area code(s)	052
Website	novigrad.hr

Novigrad (Italian: Cittanova or Cittanova d'Istria) is a town and a municipality in Istria, Croatia. It is also known as Novigrad Istarski to distinguish it from three other Croatian towns of the same name. Novigrad is set on a small peninsula on the western coast of Istria, two kilometres north of the mouth of the river (Croatia) Mirna. The area covered by the municipality extends from the village of Dajla in the north to the mouth of the River Mirna in the south.

History

There was an ancient city in the broad area of what is now Novigrad . In the 5th-6th centuries it was called Neapolis (Greek Νεαπολις). From the early Middle Ages and right up until 1828 it was the seat of the Bishopric, from 1270 it was under the rule of the Venetian Republic until its fall in the late 18th century, and it suffered a good deal of Turks in 1687^{[citation needed]}. The Old city is situated on a peninsula. The triple-naved basilica of St. Pelagius dates from the 8th century, and the present church was built on the foundantions of the old basilica in the 15th and 16th centuries. Beneath the presbytery there is a late Romanesque crypt. In the sacristy of the present parish church, the former basiilica, 15th century antiphonaries are kept with their simple and beautiful initials.

Novigrad has retained its medieval structure and layout, with narrow, winding streets and small shops. The fortifications belong to the medieval era: the town wall still stands with its battlements and tow round towers. There are examples of secular architecture from the time of the Venetian empire, such as the town loggia and several houses built in Venetian Gothic style.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, Novigrad had 2,629 residents, with a total municipal population of 4,002.^[2] Croats comprised 70% of the total population, followed by Italians 12.7%, Albanians 3.1%, Serbs 2%, Slovenes 1.9%, Turks 0.57% and those declaring themselves as Istrians 1.2%. Novigrad has an Italian community.

Towns and villages in the municipality

• Antenal
• Bužinija
• Dajla
• Mareda

References

1. ^ The Statute of Novigrad
2. ^ Croatian Central Bureau of Statistics Website

External links

• Official site

Coordinates: 45°19′02″N 13°33′36″E / 45.31722°N 13.56°E / 45.31722; 13.56