Page 7 - Abstracts of the 2nd Slovenia–Turkey Bilateral Colloquium
P. 7
Slovenia–Turkey Bilateral Colloquium · Portorož, 19 May 2023
The Cultural Heritage of the Coastal
Towns of Koper, Isola and Piran
and the Problem of Restitution
of Artworks from Local Museums,
Churches and Monasteries
Salvator Žitko
Historical Society of South Primorska, Slovenia
salvator.zitko@gmail.com
Cultural heritage is one of the essential contemporary factors of iden-
tity and recognition on the coast zone whit the town nucleus of Koper,
Izola and Piran while representing bases for culture and nature-friendly
forms of development, especially in cultural tourism. In the last century,
tourism has become an essential economic field and substantially acceler-
ated the development and promotion of the coastal region. On the entire
Istrian ground, where the river Dragonja today connected the Slovene
and Croatian Istria, over the centuries has interlaced different ethnical
groups, but also cultural and linguistic elements or two cultural spheres
– one of them preponderant Romanic and second Slavic in the hinter-
land of coastal towns. Cultural heritage, one and the other, represents an
essential and potential source of tourist development. Still, at the same
time, cultural tourism could open new possibilities to locals and foreign
visitors. It is only possible to refine this cultural heritage through the
knowledge of its cultural contents, history, actual image and offer; this
is also the principal intention of the present lecture with whom we wish
to warn on the role and importance of historical centres in Koper, Izola
and Piran whit their hinterlands, still upon question above the restitution
of artworks, who in former times adorns their museums, palaces, public
buildings, churches and monasteries.
Keywords: Cultural Heritage, Artworks Restitution, Cultural Tourism, Is-
tria, Koper, Izola, Piran
7
The Cultural Heritage of the Coastal
Towns of Koper, Isola and Piran
and the Problem of Restitution
of Artworks from Local Museums,
Churches and Monasteries
Salvator Žitko
Historical Society of South Primorska, Slovenia
salvator.zitko@gmail.com
Cultural heritage is one of the essential contemporary factors of iden-
tity and recognition on the coast zone whit the town nucleus of Koper,
Izola and Piran while representing bases for culture and nature-friendly
forms of development, especially in cultural tourism. In the last century,
tourism has become an essential economic field and substantially acceler-
ated the development and promotion of the coastal region. On the entire
Istrian ground, where the river Dragonja today connected the Slovene
and Croatian Istria, over the centuries has interlaced different ethnical
groups, but also cultural and linguistic elements or two cultural spheres
– one of them preponderant Romanic and second Slavic in the hinter-
land of coastal towns. Cultural heritage, one and the other, represents an
essential and potential source of tourist development. Still, at the same
time, cultural tourism could open new possibilities to locals and foreign
visitors. It is only possible to refine this cultural heritage through the
knowledge of its cultural contents, history, actual image and offer; this
is also the principal intention of the present lecture with whom we wish
to warn on the role and importance of historical centres in Koper, Izola
and Piran whit their hinterlands, still upon question above the restitution
of artworks, who in former times adorns their museums, palaces, public
buildings, churches and monasteries.
Keywords: Cultural Heritage, Artworks Restitution, Cultural Tourism, Is-
tria, Koper, Izola, Piran
7
