Bale: 2nd October 2023
We joined a tour called Ancient Istria, which aimed to show us some of the older settlements in the area. I thought that, possibly, we were too big a group, and were given too much information. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable, and if anything went over my head, I can always look it up online later.
Our first stop was at Bale, a lovely little hilltop town. Like many another hilltop town, its original purpose was defence and surveillance, as far back as pre-Roman times.
We saw the fading ancient frescoes in the little church, now, seemingly disused, of St. Anthony. There's a much larger church, the church of St. Elizabeth, dominating all from the top of the hill. There is also (the guidebook says) a castle, which we didn't see, and the Magistrates Court, which we inspected from the outside.
The narrow winding streets and shuttered houses give it a strong Italian feel. Which isn't surprising, because the area was once ruled by the Venetians, and more recently, was a part of Italy between the World Wars. Indeed, the winged lion of St Mark, symbol of Venice, can still be seen above the entrance of the Magistrates Court, and many other places throughout Istria.
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