Roman Ruins, Istria, Croatia

3Rantin rover 5:00 PM Sep 6, 2017

Surprisingly neglected looking site
Bearing in mind the history of the town it’s surprising to discover that the Roman ruins have been abandoned to the local cats and were difficult to locate (although the smell of cat pee was strong) . You could follow your nose however best instead to head down Decumanus (the main street in the old town) and veer to the right hand corner at the far side of Trg Marafor which will lead along a path to the remains of the Roman temples. Marafor was apparently the site of the Roman Forum or public gathering place in Porec and steps would have led to the Great Temple. There are no interpretation boards and as far as I can make out Neptune’s Temple is the one on the right hand side on open ground represented nowadays by some foundations and three small sections of pillar. Just a little further to the left of the path the remains of the 1st Century Great Temple are at least enclosed behind a stone wall. These ruins are slightly more substantial, but not huge considering this was apparently one of the largest Roman temples in the Istria region. Access is via a gate alongside the restored, pink, 19th Century Vila Polesini, one of several buildings encroaching the area, which is apparently used as a wedding venue these days. By the gate there is a basic sign indicating “Roman Temple 1st C”. From some information obtained via the internet it appears that the Great Temple was dedicated to the Roman God Mars or Jupiter and would have had six columns at the front and four at the back. The remains of several columns and other parts of the structure are lying about the site which is also home to several stone graves from a period unknown. There is a pleasant outlook to the sea from what is the oldest part of Porec but the site does have a neglected look.

3Sandygranny 5:00 PM Aug 17, 2018

Sadly neglected Roman ruins of Porec.
We were attending my grandson’s wedding in Porec at the Villa Polesini, a beautiful 19th-century villa built for the noble Polesini family. It is located on the Poreč waterfront and has a stylish and refined décor with beautifully landscaped Mediterranean gardens that can comfortably seat up to 250 people. It has been completely renovated and is now primarily used as a wedding venue and a hotel for wedding guests. We noticed a sign by the gate which read ‘Roman temple 1st C’. On closer inspection we discovered the remains of the 1st Century Great Temple behind a stone wall. These ruins are all that is left of one of the largest Roman temples in the Istria region. Also, we noticed the remains of some columns and other parts of the structure scattered around the site, as well as several stone graves from an unknown period. The site looks sadly neglected; however, there is a pleasant outlook to the sea from the oldest part of Porec.