Labin,
a town on the eastern coast of Istria, is situated on a hill above
Rabac, a strategically important location with a view of the entire
Istrian territory. The town is today composed of an older settlement,
located on a dominant hill about 2 km from the sea, and a new area
situated at the foothill of old Labin, built as a result of the
development of the mining industry.
Traces
of human dwelling date back to prehistoric times when a Bronze Age
hill-fort was situated on this location. In the first millennium BC
the Liburni tribe dwelled here but with the arrival of the Romans
Labin (then named Albona) became a municipality under the Roman law.
Many tombstones and votive altars, one of which is dedicated to the
local goddess Sentona, date from these times.
After
being governed by a series of rulers the Labin area was subjected to
its first Slavic invasions in the VI and VII century and with the
subsequent arrival of the Frankish rule it finally enjoyed a peaceful
era. The feudal system was introduced, and Labin became one of the
first towns in Istria to be inhabited
by Croatians. In 1420 Labin came under the rule of the Venetian
Republic which was a long lasting one and which was replaced by the
Austrian rule that brought rapid development to the region. The
exploitation of the mines was intensified; new mining areas were
opened along with new roads, schools and hospitals. However, the
discontent of the miners was also rising and it culminated in the
first miner strikes.
The
Italian rule (1918-43) further modernised the town of Labin and the
surrounding area, but it also pursued a policy of italianisation of
the local Croatian population. Labin's coal industry employed more
than 10,000 workers at the time and new settlements such as Rabac and
Podlabin were developed. Despite the economic boom and the fact that
Labin was an important mining town, the number of strikes and
discontented workers was on the rise and so in 1921 the miners
instigated a rebellion against the fascist regime. They established
the Labin Republic, self-managed by its workers, but after forty days
a military intervention put an end to their efforts. This rebellion
is considered to be the first ever anti-fascist uprising in the
world. When World War II began, the anti-fascist movement in Labin
became even stronger and many of its inhabitants joined the partisan
movement.
Nowadays
the only remainder of Labin's great mining era can be found as a
permanent display in its museum. Even before the final downfall of
the mining industry and the shutting down of the city's last mine in
the 1990s, the city had become a meeting point for Croatian artists,
known as the Labin ateliers - Labinski
atelieri.
The
old Labin is a typical Istrian acropolis-shaped town. In the Middle
Ages the town was surrounded by fortification walls, but after the
construction of the Dolica neighbourhood new walls and the gates of
St. Flora were added. The city is rich in architectural heritage,
such as the old patrician palaces built in the Renaissance and the
Baroque style. Remains of a medieval fortress are still preserved at
the highest point of the city, offering a spectacular view of the
town of Rabac and of the bay of Kvarner.