2425) "Ancient Cities of the Mediterranean - Pula-Pola", Croatia: "EUROMED" theme for 2022: Hrvatska Pošta (Croatian Post) has issued a postage stamp of 12.30 HRK featuring this ancient city: Date of Stamp issue: 11.07.2022:
The Postal Union for the Mediterranean (PUMed), created in Rome on 15.03.2011, by 14 Postal Administrations from the Mediterranean Region under the aegis of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), now has 23 members.
Over time, other postal operators have joined: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Mauritania, Morocco, Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia, from the Permanent Arab Commission; Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey, belonging to PostEurop.
The objective behind this concept was to develop a similar project of the lines of "EUROPA" Stamps, wherein a theme will be chosen and all member countries will submit their design. As such, the Euromed Postal stamp project is a joint commitment, consisting of the annual issue of a stamp on the same theme.
Each member will then be free to issue the design prepared by it. This for the exception of the first stamp issued in 2014, where all members were obliged to have the same design.
The themes chosen for the member countries, since 2014, so far, are as follows:
2014 - “The Mediterranean”
2015 - “Boats used in the Mediterranean”
2016 - “Fish in the Mediterranean”
2017 - “Trees in the Mediterranean”
2018 - “Houses in the Mediterranean”
2019 - “Costumes used in the Mediterranean”
2020 - "Traditional Gastronomy in the Mediterranean"
2021 - "Handicraft Jewelry in the Mediterranean"
2022 - "Ancient Cities of the Mediterranean"
A Stamp brought out by Hrvatska Pošta (Croatian Post) on the "EUROMED Project theme" for 2022, "Ancient Cities of the Mediterranean":
A brief:
The Roman "Colony of Pola" ("Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola") was founded in the middle of the 1st century BCE at the site of a Histrian hillfort situated on a hilltop.
The land configuration determined the arrangement of streets, public and private buildings, the position of the forum and the city walls, making the ancient Pula – Pola an exceptional example of Roman urban planning.
The builders adapted to the slope of the hill, so instead of having a network of streets intersecting at right angles, "Pula – Pola" has a pattern of a “spider web”.
Pula - Pola was surrounded by walls with twelve gates to enter the city.
The walls from the "Golden Gate" to the "Twin Gate" have been preserved and reconstructed to this day.
Its oldest gate is the "Gate of Hercules", which dates back to the founding of the colony. Its importance lies in the inscription on its arch, which bears the names of two "duoviri" – (the Roman officials who were entrusted by the Senate with the duty to found the colony).
The "Twin Gate", built at the end of the 2nd century on the remains of an earlier gate, has also been preserved.
The remaining city gates were torn down along with a larger part of the city walls, however, one of the most beautiful ancient monuments in Pula – the "Triumphal Arch of the Sergii" – has been preserved.
It was erected at the end of the 1st century BCE on the inside of the Golden Gate. Through a city street, the triumphal arch was directly connected to the "Forum" situated at the Western foot of the city hill.
The "Forum" was the nucleus of ancient Pula, a space for public gatherings and political activities, and also had a significant religious role in the life of the colony.
There were three temples located at the Forum in ancient times, and to this day only the temple dedicated to Augustus and Roma has survived, built at the end of the 1st century BCE and the beginning of the 1st century CE, and the back wall of the eastern temple, dedicated to the goddess Diana.
Theatres & Amphitheatre:
Ancient "Pula – Pola", with the full name "Colonia Iulia Pola Pollentia Herculanea", is also important because it had two theatres and an amphitheatre, although it is believed that the city had about 5,000 inhabitants only.
Theatre performances and Gladiator fights attracted inhabitants not only from the surrounding area, but also from further afield.
Located within the city walls, on the eastern slope of the central hill, is the small Roman theatre dating back to the 1st century CE, while the large theatre and the amphitheatre are situated outside the city walls.
All three structures were adapted to fit the land configuration, considering that they are located on the slopes of the hills.
The large theatre was heavily damaged following the ancient times and was eventually used as a building material for the construction of a Venetian fortress on the central hill of the city. Fortunately, the amphitheatre did not meet the same fate, although there were several such attempts.
The amphitheatre of Pula was constructed with a monumental technique in stone and remains one of the oldest stone amphitheatres of the Roman Empire.
It is the largest, most popular and one of the best preserved monuments of ancient architecture in Croatia.
It was one of the larger amphitheaters of the Roman Empire and it is estimated it could accommodate 23,000 spectators.
Presently, the amphitheatre has become a prominent landmark of Pula – Pola, serving as stage for various music and film events every summer.
The rich ancient heritage of Pula – Pola is reflected in the modern urban structure in which it is embedded.
The Stamp issue:
Links:
Ashok Borate has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very nice informative post."
Thank you, Ashokji.
DeleteRajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting post"
Thank you, Trikha sahab.
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