New cultural and tourist project to be launched in Istria.
A new cultural and tourism project “House of Istrian Olive Oil” will promote Istria County throughout the year and introduce one of Istria’s best local products, olive oil, to tourist. The project was presented on Sunday at the Pula Tourist Board.
House of Istrian Olive Oil will be located in a revitalized part of the complex of former Arena clothing factory. The author of the project, Lorena Boljunčić, pointed out that the areas of industrial architecture in the town will become part of the history and part of the present of the Istrian olive growing, and will promote cultivation, harvesting, processing, quality and health benefits of the Istrian olive oil. “This investment is worth about two million kuna, and the completion of works is expected before the start of the next tourist season”, Boljunčić announced at a press conference.
House of Istrian Olive Oil will consist of three main parts – a museum with permanent exhibition, an area reserved for olive oil tasting, and a shop. Visitors to the museum will be able to get to know the history of olive growing from the Roman period, through the medieval period, all the way to the 21th century. Olive growing in Istria County will be presented with regards to the climate and soil types where olives are grown, and visitors will be introduced to the “olive oil road”, as well as with cultivation, harvesting, processing and storage of olives. The museum section will also organize courses on the properties of extra virgin olive oils, and attendees will be able to taste different varieties of olive oils from different manufacturers from Istria County.
Pula Mayor Boris Miletić expressed his satisfaction with the project, pointing out that the museum will be another motive for tourists to come to Pula. “We do not want to talk about tourist season, but only about tourist year. Therefore, the Town of Pula strongly supports such projects and will assist in landscaping the area around the museum”, he announced.
The project was praised by director of the Pula Tourist Board Sanja Cinkopan Korotaj, who pointed out that tourists were increasingly looking for new attractions and presentations of cultural heritage.
