Rovinj was already a settlement of Illyrian tribes before being captured by the Romans, who called it Arupinium or Mons Rubineus, and later Ruginium and Ruvinium. Built on an island close to the coast, it was connected with the mainland in 1763 by filling in the channel.
The Old Town is where life started on what used to be an island secured by medieval walls. The city had seven gates, three of which have been preserved to this day: The Gate of St. Benedict, The Portica and The Gate of the Holy Cross. The first archeological traces of life date back to the Bronze Age, and the old city started developing in the 3rd century. The limited space conditioned the construction of narrow houses, narrow streets and small squares. It's an unique place to visit.
The largest monument in the city, the Church of St. Euphemia is a Venetian Baroque building restored between the 1725 and 1736. The bell tower was designed by the Milanese architect Alessandro Monopola, a replica of the Church of St. Mark in Venice. The tower construction started in 1651 and lasted 26 years. On top of the tower there is a large copper statue of St. Euphemia that was set in 1758 after the wooden statue was destroyed by a thunder.
