The Balbi Arch, an old symbol of former Venetian rule over Rovinj is given new life following over a year’s worth of intense expert works on its cleaning.
As Glas Istre/Nina Orlovic Radic writes on the 1st of June, 2019, works which lasted thirteen months were carried out by experts from the Croatian Restoration Institute, and the cost of the works, amounting to 300,000 kuna, was co-financed by the Croatian Ministry of Culture.
After the restoration of Rovinj’s famous stone Balbi Arch (Balbijev luk), one of the most recognisable symbols of Rovinj, which initially began last April was finally completed, the scaffolding and the plastic cloaks hiding the most frequwntly used entrance to Rovnj’s historic core were removed. Yesterday, the Balbi Arch shone in a brand new light.
The seventh-century Balbi Arch had to be renovated and cleaned from exposure to various types of pollution and elements. Among other things, the weeds and other plants that had grown on the back of the arch were also properly removed. Since the Balbi Arch is a monument of culture, the necessary works were entrusted to the experts from the Croatian Restoration Institute.
Apart from being one of Rovinj’s unmissable (and indeed hardly avoidable) top tourist spots, the Balbi Arch is one of the seven former city gates of medieval Rovinj, of which there are still three standing today and which remain in use.
Sitting a top of the Balbi Arch is a lion with wings on its back, a symbol of the Venetian Republic, depicted holding an open book in its paw, which means that Rovinj once accepted the rule of the Venetians without conflict or war, on the inside of the arch is the architecture style typical of the Venetian Republic, while the exterior is in Turkish style.
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.
