This is a list of notable Istrians. People of Istrian descent born outside the geographical region of Istria have their place of birth credited. The nationality and ethnicity of people included in this list are not mentioned.

Academic sciences

Historians

Josip Bratulić Josip Bratulić (born 2 February 1939) is a Croatian philologist and a historian of literature and culture. He was born in Sveti Petar u Šumi. He attended a gymnasium in Pazin, graduating in Croatian studies and comparative literature at the Fac ...

, philologist, historian, and the 22nd President of

Matica hrvatska Matica hrvatska ( la, Matrix Croatica) is the oldest independent, non-profit and non-governmental Croatian national institution. It was founded on February 2, 1842 by the Croatian Count Janko Drašković and other prominent members of the Illyri ...

* Gian Rinaldo Carli, historian, economist, antiquarian, professor of astronomy and navigation * Petar Stanković (1771–1852), historian, archeologist, inventor and writer

Philosophers

Franciscus Patricius Franciscus Patricius ( Croatian: ''Franjo Petriš'' or ''Frane Petrić'', Italian: ''Francesco Patrizi''; 25 April 1529 – 6 February 1597) was a philosopher and scientist from the Republic of Venice, originating from Cres. He was known as a ...

(Frane Petrić), philosopher and scientist; a known defender of

Platonism Platonism is the philosophy of Plato and philosophical systems closely derived from it, though contemporary platonists do not necessarily accept all of the doctrines of Plato. Platonism had a profound effect on Western thought. Platonism at le ...

and an opponent of

Aristotelianism Aristotelianism ( ) is a philosophical tradition inspired by the work of Aristotle, usually characterized by deductive logic and an analytic inductive method in the study of natural philosophy and metaphysics. It covers the treatment of the socia ...

Anton Mahnič Anton Mahnič, also spelled Antun Mahnić in Croatian orthography (14 September 1850 – 30 December 1920), was a Croatian-Slovenian prelate of the Catholic Church and a philosopher who established and led the Croatian Catholic Movement. Mahnič ...

, Roman Catholic bishop, theologian and philosopher, founder and the main leader of the Croatian Catholic movement * Hermannus Sclavus, 12th-century philosopher, astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, translator and author File:Francesco Patrizi 1580.jpg, Patricius File:Herman-of-Carinthia-1024x800.jpg, Sclavus

Scientists

Josip Belušić Josip Belušić (March 12, 1847 - January 8, 1905) was a Croatian people, Croatian inventor and professor of physics and mathematics. He was born in the small settlement of Županići, in the region of Labin, Istria, and schooled in Pazin and Kope ...

, professor of physics and mathematics, inventor; invented the

speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...

Paolo Budinich Paolo Budinich (28 August 1916 – 14 November 2013) was an Italian theoretical physicist. Born in Lussingrande to a family of sailors, he grew up and studied in Trieste, where the family resided and his father Antonio Budini taught in the local ...

, theoretical physicist * Lucija Čok,

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and politician, former minister of education of Slovenia *

Antonio Grossich Antonio Grossich (7 June 1849 – 1 October 1926) was an italian surgeon from Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia), a politician and a writer. Born in Draguć (Draguccio d'Istria), near Buzet (Pinguente), Istria, Grossich at first studied law in G ...

, surgeon, introduced

tincture of iodine Tincture of iodine, iodine tincture, or weak iodine solution is an antiseptic. It is usually 2 to 7% elemental iodine, along with potassium iodide or sodium iodide, dissolved in a mixture of ethanol and water. Tincture solutions are characterized ...

as a way of sterilization in 1908 *

Andrija Mohorovičić Andrija Mohorovičić (23 January 1857 – 18 December 1936) was a Croatian geophysicist. He is best known for the eponymous Mohorovičić discontinuity and is considered one of the founders of modern seismology. Early years Mohorovičić wa ...

, meteorologist and geophysicist, known for the eponymous

Mohorovičić discontinuity The Mohorovičić discontinuity ( , ), usually referred to as the Moho discontinuity or the Moho, is the boundary between the Earth's crust and the mantle. It is defined by the distinct change in velocity of seismic waves as they pass through ch ...

and considered one of the founders of modern

seismology Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...

Stjepan Mohorovičić Stjepan Mohorovičić (August 20, 1890 – February 13, 1980) was a Croatian physicist, geophysicist and meteorologist. Biography Mohorovičić was born in the town of Bakar. His father is the world-famous geophysicist Andrija Mohorovičić. He ...

, physicist, geophysicist and meteorologist called "the father of

positronium Positronium (Ps) is a system consisting of an electron and its antimatter, anti-particle, a positron, bound together into an exotic atom, specifically an onium. Unlike hydrogen, the system has no protons. The system is unstable: the two parti ...

," whose existence he predicted * Fran Novljan, Croatian educator and andragogue * Herman Potočnik, rocket engineer, pioneer of astronautics; He is remembered for his work addressing the long-term human habitation of space, and for conceiving the first

space station A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time, and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station i ...

Santorio Santorio Santorio Santori (29 March, 1561 – 25 February, 1636) also called Santorio Santorio, Santorio de' Sanctoriis, or Sanctorius of Padua and various combinations of these names, was an Italian physiologist, physician, and professor, who introduc ...

, physiologist and physician who is considered the father of modern quantitative experimentation in medicine; his studies of basal metabolism introduced

quantitative Quantitative may refer to: * Quantitative research, scientific investigation of quantitative properties * Quantitative analysis (disambiguation) * Quantitative verse, a metrical system in poetry * Statistics, also known as quantitative analysis ...

experimental procedure into medical research File:Belusic.png, Belušić File:Portrait of Andria Mohorovicic.gif, Mohorovičić File:Herman Potocnik Noordung.jpg, Potočnik File:Sanctorius.jpg,

Santorio Santorio is an Italian surname that may refer to * Francesco Antonio Santorio (died 1589), Roman Catholic prelate *Giovanni Antonio Santorio (died 1628), Roman Catholic prelate *Giovanni Battista Santorio (died 1592), Roman Catholic prelate *Giulio ...

Arts

Laura Antonelli Laura Antonelli ( Antonaz; 28 November 1941 – 22 June 2015) was an Italian film actress who appeared in 45 films between 1964 and 1991. Early years Antonelli was born Laura Antonaz in Pola, Kingdom of Italy (in Croatian, Pula), former cap ...

(Antonaz), film actress, appeared in 45 films between 1964 and 1991 *

Joe Bastianich Joseph Bastianich (born September 17, 1968) is an American restaurateur, winemaker, author, television personality, and musician. He, along with his mother and business partner Lidia Bastianich, co-owns thirty restaurants in four countries, inclu ...

, American restaurateur, author, showman, television personality born in Queens, N.Y. to Istrian parents of Italian nationality but largely East European descent *

Lidia Bastianich Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich (; born February 21, 1947) is an Italian-American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur. Specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine, Bastianich has been a regular contributor to ...

, celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur * Karlo Bilić (Charles Billich), contemporary artist based in Sydney, Australia * Josip Crnobori, 20th-century painter *

Jadranka Đokić Jadranka Đokić (born 14 January 1981) is a Croatian actress. One of the top Croatian actresses, she has won critical approval for her theatre, film and television performances. Her notable film roles include starring in ''Fine Dead Girls'', '' ...

, film, television and stage actress * Bruno Juričić, architect * Luka Juričić, stage, television and film actor * Orlando Mohorović, modernist artist * Antun Motika, 20th-century modernist painter * Bernardo Parentino, painter of the Renaissance * Renato Percan, modernist painter * Jakov Puljanin, architect *

Rick Rossovich Frederic Enrico Rossovich (born August 28, 1957) is an American actor. Rossovich began acting in the early 1980s, first gaining recognition for portraying Ron "Slider" Kerner in the 1986 film ''Top Gun''. Rossovich's other movies include the thri ...

, American actor, born in

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was estab ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, U.S. to a father of distant Istrian Croatian origins (his paternal great-great grandfather was from

Mošćenička Draga Mošćenička Draga ( it, Draga di Moschiena) is municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia. It has 1,535 inhabitants, 90.7% of which are Croats. It is situated southwest of Opatija under Mt. Učka The Učka ([], it, Monte Maggiore) ...

) * Tim Rossovich, American actor, former NFL linebacker and 1969 Pro Bowl; brother of actor

Teresa Scanlan Teresa Michelle Scanlan (born February 6, 1993) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Gering, Nebraska who was named Miss Nebraska 2010, subsequently winning Miss America 2011 at age 17 and becoming the youngest Miss America since Bette ...

, American

beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...

who was named

Miss Nebraska The Miss Nebraska competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Nebraska in the Miss America pageant. Steffany Lien of Lincoln was crowned Miss Nebraska 2022 on June 11, 2022 at North Platte HS Performing Arts Cen ...

2010; won

Miss America 2011 Miss America 2011 was the 84th Miss America pageant. Since the first Miss America pageant was held years ago, in 1921, the Miss America Organization was celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2011. It was held at the Theatre for the Performing Art ...

at age 17 and became the youngest

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

since Bette Cooper in 1937; grandparents are from

Ilovik The islands of Ilovik ( it, Asinello) and '' Sveti Petar'' ( it, San Pietro) are located in Croatia south of the island Lošinj (Lussino), separated by the Strait of Ilovik ( hr, Ilovačka vrata). Geography The only village located on the island ...

Cres Cres (; dlm, Crepsa, vec, Cherso, it, Cherso, la, Crepsa, Greek: Χέρσος, ''Chersos'') is an Adriatic island in Croatia. It is one of the northern islands in the Kvarner Gulf and can be reached via ferry from Rijeka, the island Kr ...

Lošinj Lošinj (; it, Lussino; vec, Lusin, earlier ''Osero''; german: Lötzing; la, Apsorrus; grc, Ἄψορρος) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, in the Kvarner Gulf. It is almost due south of the city of Rijeka and part of the ...

archipelago * Sebastiano Schiavone da Rovigno, woodcarver and marquetry artist *

Angelo Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name *Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church *Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298–1357), Italian Rom ...

and

Francesco Trevisani 200px, ''Portrait of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni ''by Francesco Trevisani. The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham">Barnard_Castle.html" ;"title="Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle">Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, England. Frances ...

, painters of the late-Baroque, active mainly in Venice *

Alida Valli Alida Maria Laura, ''Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, s ...

, actress who appeared in over 100 movies, including a number of American films

Literature

Mate Balota Mijo Mirković (; 28 September 1898 – 17 February 1963), also known by his pen names Miho and Mate Balota, was a prominent Croatian poet, novelist and economist. Considered one of the most prominent Croatian poets of the 20th century and of ...

, poet, novelist and economist * Boris Domagoj Biletić, writer, literary critic and vice-president of the

Croatian Writers' Association Croatian Writers' Association ( hr, Društvo hrvatskih književnika; abbreviated DHK) is the official association of Croatian writers. It was founded in 1900 in Zagreb with the goal "to unite writers and help them support one another, and promote ...

Viktor Car Emin Viktor Car Emin (Kraj at Mošćenička Draga, 1 November 1870 – Opatija, 17 April 1963) was a prominent Croatian people, Croatian writer. He graduated from Teachers School in Kopar. He was expelled from the Italian controlled Istria first to settl ...

(1870–1963), writer, publicist, and revivalist of Croatian nationalism * Zvane Črnja, poet, prose writer, essayist, culturologist, screenwriter, playwright and filmologist, journalist, publicist, polemicist and publisher * Andreas Divus Justinopolitanus,

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

scholar who translated the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

and the

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...

into Latin, and was the author of their first published version *

Drago Gervais Drago Gervais (April 18, 1904 – July 3, 1957) was a Croatian Istrian poet and playwright, and one of the most prominent poets writing in the Chakavian dialect of Croatian. Drago Gervais was born in 1904 in Opatija. His father Artur, a descen ...

, poet, writer and playwright in the

Chakavian dialect Chakavian or Čakavian (, , , sh-Latn, čakavski proper name: or own name: ''čokovski, čakavski, čekavski'') is a South Slavic regiolect or language spoken primarily by Croats along the Adriatic coast, in the historical regions of Da ...

of Croatian * Simon Greblo, priest, Glagolitic writer and scribe; with Žakan Juri, one of the most important connoisseurs of the Glagolitic alphabet at the end of the 15th century * Antun Kalac, poet, writer, playwright, translator and revivalist of Croatian nationalism *

Eugen Kumičić Eugen Kumičić (11 January 1850 – 13 May 1904) was a prominent Croatian writer and politician. Kumičić was one of the most prolific Croatian novelists of the realism era and a pioneer of naturalism in Croatian literature. Biography Kumi ...

, writer and politician; one of the most prolific Croatian novelists of the

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

era and a pioneer of naturalism in Croatian literature; with

Ante Starčević Ante Starčević (; 23 May 1823 – 28 February 1896) was a Croatian politician and writer. His policies centered around Croatian state law, the integrity of Croatian lands, and the right of his people to self-determination. As an important memb ...

, significantly contributed to the birth of

Croatian nationalism Croatian nationalism is nationalism that asserts the nationality of Croats and promotes the cultural unity of Croats. Modern Croatian nationalism first arose in the 19th century after Budapest exerted increasing pressure for Magyarization of Cr ...

* Giuseppina Martinuzzi, educator, journalist,

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

, and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

* Božo Milanović, priest, historian, writer, antifascist * Daniel Načinović, poet, prose writer, essayist, journalist, and translator * Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini, writer and journalist, author of novels, poetry, and essays * Tone Peruško, writer and pedagogue *

Fulvio Tomizza Fulvio Tomizza (26 January 1935 – 21 May 1999) was an Italian writer. He was born in Giurizzani di Materada in Istria, to a middle-class family. His mother was Margherita Frank Trento, born into a poor family of Slavic extraction. His father, ...

, writer * Žakan Juri, priest, Glagolitic writer and herald of the first Croatian printed book File:MateBalota.jpg, Balota File:Fulvio Tomizza.jpg, Tomizza

Music

Andrea Antico Andrea Antico (also Andrea Antico da Montona, Anticho, Antiquo) (c. 1480 – after 1538) was a music printer, editor, publisher and composer of the Renaissance born in the Republic of Venice, of Istrian birth, active in Rome and in Venice. ...

, music printer, editor, publisher and composer of the Renaissance, who is regarded as the first significant music printer *

Franka Batelić Franka Batelić (born 7 June 1992), also known as Franka, is a Croatian singer-songwriter. She rose to fame as the winner of the first season of '' Showtime''. She represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song " Crazy". ...

, singer and songwriter, who won the first edition of ''

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

'' and represented Croatia at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2018 The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lisbon, Portugal, following the country's victory at the with the song " Amar pelos dois" by Salvador Sobral. Organised by the European Broa ...

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

, Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer; grandparents were Istrians, Italian and possibly Slavic *

Tony Cetinski Anthony Cetinski (born 31 May 1969), known professionally as Tony Cetinski, is a Croatian pop singer. Today, he is one of the most popular male singers in Croatia and countries of former Yugoslavia. Biography Born into a family of musicians in ...

, pop singer, one of the most popular musicians in Croatia and countries of

former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

Luigi Dallapiccola Luigi Dallapiccola (February 3, 1904 – February 19, 1975) was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions. Biography Dallapiccola was born in Pisino d'Istria (at the time part of Austria-Hungary, current Pazin, Croa ...

, composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions *

Sergio Endrigo Sergio Endrigo (; 15 June 1933 – 7 September 2005) was an Italian singer-songwriter. Born in Pola, Istria in Italy (now Pula, Croatia), he has been often compared—for style and nature—to authors of the so-called "Genoa school" like Gino P ...

, singer-songwriter, won the

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annual ...

in 1968, and represented Italy at the

Eurovision Song Contest 1968 The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in London, United Kingdom, following the country's first victory at the with the song " Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw. Despite havi ...

Gustafi Gustafi are a Croatian folk rock band formed in Vodnjan, a small town in Istria, in 1980. The band was founded by Edi Maružin, Vlado Maružin, Čedomir Mošnja, Igor Arih and Livio Morosin and was originally called ''Gustaph y njegovi dobri duho ...

, Porin Award-winning

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

ban *

Tamara Obrovac Tamara Obrovac (born 1962 in Pula), Croatian singer, composer, songwriter and flutist is one of the most impressive artists on the Croatian music scene, her main expression is ethnically inspired contemporary jazz influenced by the particular ...

ethno jazz Ethno jazz, also known as world jazz, is a subgenre of jazz and world music, developed internationally in the 1950s and '60s and broadly characterized by a combination of traditional jazz and non-Western musical elements. Though occasionally equ ...

singer, flutist, songwriter and composer, won a total of four

Porins Porins are beta barrel proteins that cross a cellular membrane and act as a pore, through which molecules can diffuse. Unlike other membrane transport proteins, porins are large enough to allow passive diffusion, i.e., they act as channels tha ...

; singer with second most Porins for best female vocal performance, after

Josipa Lisac Josipa Lisac (; born 14 February 1950) is a Croatian pop rock singer. Biography During the 1960s, Lisac was the vocalist of the group Zlatni Akordi. Her first solo album, '' Dnevnik jedne ljubavi'' (''The Diary of a Love''), recorded in 1973, was ...

* Lidija Percan, singer, famous for her songs in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

'' Istroveneto'' dialect *

Lea Sirk Lea Sirk (born 1 September 1989) is a Slovenian singer, who represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018. Biography She started her musical education at the age of five in Koper, Slovenia. Between 2001 and 2007, Lea participa ...

, singer who represented Slovenia at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest * Antonio Smareglia, opera composer born to an Istrian Italian father and a Croatian mother, Julija Štiglić *

Luka Šulić Luka Šulić (born 25 August 1987) is a Slovenian-Croatian cellist. He is a member of 2CELLOS, along with Stjepan Hauser. Early life Šulić was born in Maribor, Slovenia. Šulić's father, Božo (through whom Šulić has Croatian citizenship ...

, cellist born in Maribor to an Istrian Slovenian mother from

Izola Izola (; it, Isola ) is a town in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast of the Istrian peninsula. It is the seat of the Municipality of Izola. Its name originates from Italian ''Isola'', which means 'island'. History An ancient Roman ...

He is a member of

2CELLOS 2CELLOS (stylized 2CΞLLOS) were a Croatian cellist duo, consisting of classically trained cellists Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. Signed to Sony Masterworks since 2011, they released six albums. They played instrumental arrangements of well ...

, along with

Stjepan Hauser Stjepan Hauser (; born 15 June 1986), known professionally as HAUSER, is a Croatian cellist. He is a member of 2CELLOS, along with Luka Šulić. Early life and musical training Hauser was born in Pula, Croatia, into a musical family, where h ...

, who was born in

Pula Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...

Giuseppe Tartini Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era born in the Republic of Venice. Tartini was a prolific composer, composing over a hundred of pieces for the violin with the majority of ...

, Baroque composer and violinist * Francesco Usper, composer and organist *

Alen Vitasović Alen Vitasović (born 5 July 1968) is a Croatian pop singer and songwriter. Born in Pula, many of his songs are about his native Istria and mostly written in Chakavian dialect. Vitasović began his music career early, learning how to play the ...

, Croatian pop singer and songwriter, famous for singing and writing songs about Istria in the

Massimo Savić Massimo Moreno Savić (6 June 1962 – 23 December 2022), also known simply as Massimo, was a Croatian pop singer. His father was a native of Tulež near Aranđelovac. His mother was Italian from Istria, a native of Raša near Labin. He fir ...

, pop singer File:Franka Batelić 2018.jpg, Batelić File:Tony Cetinski Makarska.jpg, Cetinski File:Sergio Endrigo.jpg, Endrigo File:Tamara obrovac byMilin.jpg, Obrovac File:Giuseppe Tartini (Tartini House).jpg,

Tartini Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era born in the Republic of Venice. Tartini was a prolific composer, composing over a hundred of pieces for the violin with the majority of ...

Military leaders

Mate Blažina Mate Blažina (10 March 1925 – 15 April 1945) was a Croatian antifascist, military commander and Order of the People's Hero, Yugoslav National Hero. After the capitulation of Italy, he joined the partisan movement. He contributed to the liberatio ...

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...

Order of Bravery The Order of Bravery ( bg, Орден за Храброст) is a Bulgarian order which existed during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and currently exists in the Republic of Bulgaria. It was the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and is the fourt ...

and

Order of the National Hero The Order of the People's Hero or the Order of the National Hero ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Orden narodnog heroja, Oрден народног хероја; sl, Red narodnega heroja, mk, Oрден на народен херој, Orden na ...

Gulfaris Gulfaris also Gulfari (fl. 599) was a Lombard from Istria who entered Byzantine service and became a '' magister militium''. He was of Lombard descent, as evidenced by his name. Gulfaris is also credited as ''dux Istrae''. In the early Middle Ag ...

, Lombard duke of Istria *

Wilhelm Ehm Wilhelm Ehm (30 August 1918 – 9 August 2009) a World War II Wehrmacht veteran and East German Admiral who was Deputy Minister of National Defense of the German Democratic Republic and head of the People's Navy (Volksmarine). Early life Ehm's ...

WW2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Wehrmacht veteran and East German Admiral who was Deputy Minister of National Defense of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and head of the People's Navy (

Volksmarine The ''Volksmarine'' (VM, ; en, People's Navy) was the naval force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The ''Volksmarine'' was one of the service branches of the National People's Army and primarily performed a coastal d ...

) *

Epulon Epulon (''Epulo'', ''Epulone'', ''Aepulo''; ruled 181 – 177 BC) was a king or tribal leader of the Histri in northern Illyria.. Epulon conducted a series of wars against commanders sent by the Roman Republic during the Roman expansion of the f ...

, king of the Histri *

Joakim Rakovac Joakim Rakovac (14 November 1914 – 18 January 1945) was an Istrian anti-fascist, partisan and national hero of Yugoslavia. The circumstances of his death and the identity of his murderers are debated, and he is thought by some to have been murde ...

, guerrilla, activist, anti-fascist; he was killed in an ambush by the Nazis in

Ww2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Licio Visintini Licio Visintini (12 February 1915 – 8 December 1942) was an Italian naval officer during World War II. Visintini was decorated for his operations against Allied shipping in Gibraltar during the Battle of the Mediterranean. His brother Mario Vi ...

, Italian naval officer during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

;

Silver Medal of Military Valor The Silver Medal of Military Valor ( it, Medaglia d'argento al valor militare) is an Italian medal for gallantry. Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on 21 May 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, ...

(twice) and

Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( it, Medaglia d'oro al valor militare) is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The fac ...

Mario Visintini Mario Visintini, MOVM, (26 April 1913 – 11 February 1941) was an Italian military pilot, the first Regia Aeronautica flying ace of World War II. In recognition of his flying skill and meticulousness, Visintini was nicknamed ''cacciatore scientif ...

, MOVM, Italian naval officer during

, nicknamed ''cacciatore scientifico'' (scientific fighter pilot) File:Licio visintini.jpg,

File:Mario Visintini.jpg,

Politics

* Luciano Delbianco, Mayor of Pula; successfully negotiated the peaceful removal of Yugoslav troops in the 1990s, saving the city from destruction *

Juraj Dobrila Juraj (Giorgio) Dobrila (16 March 1812 – 13 January 1882) was a Catholic bishop and benefactor from Istria who advocated for greater national rights for Croats and also Slovenes in Istria under Austrian rule. Biography Dobrila was born in the ...

, Catholic bishop, printer and benefactor from Istria who advocated for greater national rights for Croats and also Slovenes in Istria under Austrian rule * Valter Drandić, politician, member of the

European Committee of the Regions The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the European Union's (EU) assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities) with a direct voice w ...

, former Mayor of Pula and long-time member of the

Croatian Parliament The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sab ...

; Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy * Fabio Filzi,

Italian irredentist Italian irredentism ( it, irredentismo italiano) was a nationalist movement during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Italy with irredentist goals which promoted the unification of geographic areas in which indigenous peoples ...

and patriot;

Medal of Military Valor The Medal of Military Valor (Italian language: ''Medaglia al valor militare'') is an Italian medal, originally established as a Sardinian award. It is awarded to military personnel, units above the level of company, and civilians for excepti ...

and

War Merit Cross The War Merit Cross (german: Kriegsverdienstkreuz) was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit ...

Andrei Glavina Andrei Glavina (30 November 1881 – 9 February 1925) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Istro-Romanian writer, professor and politician born in Šušnjevica. Known as the "Apostle of the Istro-Romanians", he is recognized for his struggle for the Is ...

, writer, professor and politician *

Peđa Grbin Peđa Grbin (born 24 May 1979) is a Croatian lawyer and politician serving as President of the Social Democratic Party since 2020. He was also Leader of the Opposition from 2020 until 2022, when he was replaced by Davorko Vidović, the leader of t ...

, president of the

Social Democratic Party of Croatia The Social Democratic Party of Croatia ( hr, Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske, SDP) is a social-democratic political party in Croatia. The SDP is anti-fascist, progressive, and strongly pro-European. The SDP was formed in 1990 as the succe ...

since 2020 *

Silvano Hrelja Silvano Hrelja (born 14 March 1958) is a Croatian politician who has been Leader of the Croatian Party of Pensioners (HSU) since 2008 and a member of the Croatian Parliament for the Croatian Parliament electoral districts, VIII electoral district ...

, leader of the Croatian Pensioners' Party since 2008 * Ernest Jelušić, priest, revivalist of Croatian nationalism and politician *

Veli Jože Veli is a male Finnish and Estonian given name, meaning ''brother''. It is also an Ottoman Turkish name, mainly used by Ottoman affiliated populations as a male given name, meaning ''guardian''. Its original etymology in Arabic meaning a "friend o ...

, Istrian giant native of

Motovun Motovun (, it, Montona or ''Montona d'Istria'') is a village and a municipality in central Istria, Croatia. In ancient times, both Celts and Illyrians built their fortresses at the location of present-day Motovun. The name of the village is also ...

in the local folklore, and the protagonist of

Vladimir Nazor Vladimir Nazor (30 May 1876 – 19 June 1949) was a Croatian poet and politician. During and after World War II in Yugoslavia, he served as the first President of the Presidium of the Croatian Parliament (Croatian head of state), and first Sp ...

's novel of the same name * Radovan Juričić, Head of State Administration Office of Istria County, successfully negotiated the peaceful removal of Yugoslav troops from Pula in the 1990s *

Ioannis Kapodistrias Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias (10 or 11 February 1776 – 9 October 1831), sometimes anglicized as John Capodistrias ( el, Κόμης Ιωάννης Αντώνιος Καποδίστριας, Komis Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias; russian: � ...

, 1st Governor of Hellenic State, whose ancestry can be traced back to Koper (Capodistria), hence ''Kapodistrias'' * Luka Kirac, priest, revivalist of Croatian nationalism and politician * Šime Kurelić, politician and revivalist of Croatian nationalism * Boris Miletić, Mayor of Pula and president of the

Istrian Democratic Assembly The Istrian Democratic Assembly ( hr, Istarski demokratski sabor, it, Dieta democratica istriana or IDS-DDI) is a centre to centre-left, regionalist, liberal political party in Croatia primarily operating in Istria County. IDS was founded on ...

(IDS) since 2014 * Francesco Neffat (Franjo Nefat), politician, anti-fascist, partisan, and Mayor of Pula *

Rossana Rossanda Rossana Rossanda (23 April 1924 – 20 September 2020) was an Italian communist politician, journalist, and feminist. Biography Rossanda was born in Pula, then part of Italy. She studied in Milan and was a student of philosopher Antonio Banfi. ...

, journalist, politician and feminist, who co-founded '' Il manifesto'' *

Francesco Salata Francesco Salata (17 September 1876 – 10 March 1944) was an Italian senator, politician, journalist, historian and writer. Salata was an irredentist, although he had a more legalistic approach than other contemporaries, as well as being more l ...

, Italian senator, Ambassador of Italy to Austria, journalist and author *

Nazario Sauro Nazario Sauro (20 September 1880 – 10 August 1916) was an Austrian-born Italian irredentist and sailor. Life Born in Capodistria, in what was then the Austrian Littoral (today Koper, Slovenia), he took to sailing from a very young age, a ...

, sailor and Italian irredentis *

Vjekoslav Spinčić Vjekoslav Spinčić (23 October 1848 – 27 May 1933) was a Croats, Croatian politician from Istria. Born in Spinčići near Kastav, he studied theology in Gorizia and Trieste, and was ordained a priest in 1872. Afterwards, he continued stud ...

, author and politician, member of the

Party of Rights The Party of Rights ( hr, Stranka prava) was a Croatian nationalist political party in Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia and later in Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. It was founded in 1861 by Ante Starčević and Eugen Kvaternik, two influenti ...

and Croatian nationalist of the late 19th century * Igor Štoković, Mayor of Pula, who successfully negotiated the peaceful removal of Yugoslav troops from Pula in the 1990s *

Vittorio Vidali Vittorio Vidali (27 September 1900 – 9 November 1983), also known as Vittorio Vidale, Enea Sormenti, Jacobo Hurwitz Zender, Carlos Contreras, and "Comandante Carlos", was an Italian communist. After being expelled from Italy with the rise ...

, antifascist, senator of the Italian Republic File:Luciano Delbianco.JPG, Delbianco File:Juraj Dobrila.jpg, Dobrila File:Valter Drandić 1.jpg, Drandić File:Pedja Grbin.jpg,

Grbin Grbin (, german: Gerbin) is a former settlement in the Municipality of Litija in central Slovenia. It is now part of the town of Litija. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included with the rest of the munici ...

File:Boris Miletić.JPG,

Miletić Miletić ( sr-Cyrl, Милетић, ; plural: ''Miletići, Милетићи'') is a Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian surname, and is one of the common surnames in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. It derives from personal name Mileta, cog ...

File:Rossana Rossanda.jpg, Rossanda File:Francesco-salata-01-9.jpg, Salata File:Vjekoslav Spinčić 1898 Vilím.png, Spinčić

Religion

Saints, Beati and Venerables in the Catholic Church

Francesco Bonifacio Francesco Giovanni Bonifacio ( – ) was an Italian Catholic priest, killed by the Yugoslav communists in Grisignana (then Italy now Croatia); he was beatified in Trieste on . Early life Francesco (Checco) Bonifacio was born September 7, 19 ...

, ''beato'' * Miroslav Bulešić, one of Croatia's ''beati'' * Egidio Bullesi (Bullessich), Venerable, the confirmation of his life of

heroic virtue Heroic virtue is a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs and used by the Catholic Church. The Greek pagan term hero described a person with possibly superhuman abilities and great goodness, and "it ...

in 1997 allowed for

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

to name him as

Venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cathol ...

* Saint Gaudentius of Ossero,

bishop of Ossero The Diocese of Ossero or Diocese of Osor (Latin: ''Dioecesis Arbensis'') was a Roman Catholic diocese located in the port town of Ossero on the island of Cres in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia. In 1828, it was suppressed along wit ...

and patron of the town and the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

* Julian of Bale, one of Croatia's ''beati'' * Oton of Pula, one of Croatia's ''beati'' File:Miroslav-Bulesic.jpg, Blessed Bulešić File:Julian of Bale 1700 incision.jpg, Julian of Bale

Roman Catholic bishops

* Maximianus, Bishop of Ravenna * Josip Pavlišić, Bishop of Rijeka *

Isidoro Sain Isidoro Sain, O.S.B. (born Mihovil Šain) (22 November 1869 – 28 January 1932) was a Croatian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a Benedictine. Life Sain was born in Zidine, a hamlet of Dajla, near Novigrad, Croatia, on 22 Novembe ...

, the first Bishop of Rijeka *

Antonio Santin Antonio Santin, (9 December 1895 – 17 March 1981) was an Italian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Bishop of Rijeka (1933.08.10 – 1938.05.16), Bishop of Koper (Slovenia) (1938.05.16 – 1975.06.28), Bishop of Trieste (Italy) (1938.05 ...

, Archbishop of Trieste, and the second Bishop of Rijeka * Josip Ujčić, the second Archbishop of Belgrade

Reformers

* Juraj Cvečić, Protestant reformer, translator and editor *

Flacius Matthias Flacius Illyricus (Latin; hr, Matija Vlačić Ilirik) or Francovich ( hr, Franković) (3 March 1520 – 11 March 1575) was a Lutheran reformer from Istria, present-day Croatia. He was notable as a theologian, sometimes dissenting stron ...

(Matija Vlačić-Franković Ilirik), Lutheran reformer, pioneer in church historical studies, and "theological controversialist who created a lasting rift within Lutheranism" * Matija Grbić (Garbitius), humanist, classical philologist, translator and protégé of Luther and Melanchthon, dean of the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...

1545–1557; helped and promoted Flacius in Tübingen * Stjepan Konzul Istranin, translator and reformer who translated the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

into Croatian and authored and translated religious books into Čakavian dialect *

Sebastian Krelj Sebastian Krelj, also known as Sebastjan Krelj, Sebastijan Krelj or Boštjan Krelj (1538 – 25 December 1567) was a Slovene Protestant reformer, writer, pastor, linguist and preacher and regarded as one of the most educated Slovene Protestant ...

, Protestant reformer, writer, pastor, linguist and preacher born in

Vipava Vipava can refer to: * Vipava, Vipava, town in southwestern Slovenia * Vipava (river), in Slovenia and Italy * Vipava Valley The Vipava Valley (; sl, Vipavska dolina, german: Wippachtal, it, Valle del Vipacco) is a valley in the Slovenian Li ...

, modern day Slovenia * Baldo Lupetina (Lupetino), reformer from Labin, who preached both in Chakavian dialect and Italian; was the uncle-in-law and mentor of

; executed for heresy in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

Pier Paolo Vergerio Pier Paolo Vergerio ( 1498 – October 4, 1565), the Younger, was an Italian papal nuncio and later Protestant reformer. Life He was born at Capodistria (Koper), Istria, then part of the Venetian Republic and studied jurisprudence in Padua, wh ...

(Vergerij), protestant reformer File:Matthias Flacius.png,

File:Stjepan Konzul Istrijanin (1521-1579) Glasoviti Hrvati 1886.png, Konzul Istranin

Other

* Asher Lämmlein, 16th-century self-proclaimed forerunner of the Jewish messiah

Sports

Silvano Abbà Silvano Abba (3 July 1911 – 24 August 1942) was an Italian modern pentathlete who won a bronze medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Abba was a military man, who led the Italian Savoy Cavalry squadron in August 1942 at the Charge of the Savoi ...

, modern pentathlete who won a bronze medal at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

* Jasmin Agić, former football player who played for

Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...

and Croatia's national football team, son-in-law of

Srećko Juričić Srećko Juričić (born 30 December 1954) is a Croatian former professional association football, footballer, who is currently the sporting director for HNK Rijeka. Juričić has also had a career as a manager (association football), manager coac ...

Danijel Aleksić Danijel Aleksić (Serbian Cyrillic: Дaниjeл Aлeкcић; born 30 April 1991) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. Early life Born in Pula, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia, Aleksić was several months ...

, footballer currently playing for

İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü () is a Turkish professional football club based in the Başakşehir district of Istanbul. The club is better known simply as İstanbul Başakşehir or, due to sponsorship, Medipol Başakşehir (). The club ...

and

Serbia national football team The Serbia national football team ( sr, Фудбалска репрезентација Србије, Fudbalska reprezentacija Srbije) represents Serbia in men's international football competition. It is controlled by the Football Association of ...

; individually he won a UEFA European Under-17 Championship Golden Player Award in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

; with clubs he won the 2019–20

Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, t ...

, former racing driver; won the Formula One Championship in 1978 * Andretti family,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

Jeff Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey. Music * DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes * ...

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

and his son

Marco Marco may refer to: People * Marco (given name), people with the given name Marco * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Tomás Marco (born 1942), Spanish c ...

all competed in major racing championships and sports races. Most notably, Michael won a CART championship, and a 3rd place at the 1993 Italian F1 Grand Prix. They all descend from Istrian-Italian immigrant to the U.S.

. *

Nino Benvenuti Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (born 26 April 1938) is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undispute ...

, boxer, won gold at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

and two European Amateur Championships, and as a professional the EBU Middleweight Title and the WBA and WBC super welterweight and middleweight titles * Lorena Beučić, former handball player, played for the Yugoslav national team; won the 1977 Junior World Championship with Yugoslavia *

Mark Bresciano Mark Bresciano ( ; ; born 11 February 1980) is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. Born in Melbourne, Bresciano played youth football for Bulleen Lions, before moving into the National Soccer League w ...

, former professional footballer and one of the most capped players for Australia, born to a Croatian Istrian mother in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

* Mario Brnjac, footballer, one of the key defenders for Rijeka during much of the 1960s and the early 1970s * Damir Burić, water polo player, won the gold with Croatia at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, and the silver at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

Giovanni Cernogoraz Giovanni Cernogoraz (born 27 December 1982) is a Croatian sports shooter. Competing in shotgun events, he won the Olympic gold medal in men's trap at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. He was elected for Croatian Sportsman of the year by ''Sportsk ...

, sports shooter, won the gold at the

in Men's trap *

Lino Červar Lino Červar (born 22 September 1950) is a Croatian retired handball coach. In 2003 he guided Croatia men's national handball team to gold in the 2003 World Men's Handball Championship, 2003 World Championship as well as to gold at the Handball a ...

, former handball coach; in 2003 guided Croatia men's national handball team to a gold at the 2003 World Championship; won the gold at the

2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

; won two silvers at the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

, three silvers and two bronzes at the

Europeans Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (2004) ...

, one gold and two bronzes at the

Mediterranean Games The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The fir ...

* Giovanni Delise, rower who won a

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

together with Giliante D'Este, Renato Petronio and Nicolò Vittori. They were all from Isola (Izola), and won also several European Championships. * Giliante D'Este, won gold medal in 1928 with the Isola team; won

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...

at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

(

coxless four A coxless four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each having one oar. There are two rowers on th ...

) * Luigi De Manincor, sailor, won a gold medal at the

* Samanta Fabris, volleyball player, won an

Italian League The Italic League or Most Holy League was an international agreement concluded in Venice on 30 August 1454, between the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Florence, and the Kingdom of Naples, following the Tr ...

with Imoco Volley, the

2018 Mediterranean Games The 2018 Mediterranean Games ( es, Juegos Mediterráneos de 2018), officially known as the XVIII Mediterranean Games ( es, XVIII Juegos Mediterráneos) and commonly known as Tarragona 2018, was an international multi-sport event held from 22 Jun ...

with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, as well as a bronze at the

2013 Mediterranean Games The 2013 Mediterranean Games ( tr, 2013 Akdeniz Oyunları), officially known as the XVII Mediterranean Games ( tr, XVII Akdeniz Oyunları) and commonly known as Mersin 2013, was an international multi-sport event held from 20 to 30 June 2013 i ...

and silver at the 2019 European League *

Evelina Galo Evelina Galo is a Croatian former handball player. She has been credited as one of the greatest players in Yugoslavia's history. Biography Galo was born in Labin, Istria (today Croatia, then Yugoslavia). She started playing for her hometown clu ...

, former handball player, played for Yugoslavia's national handball team * Suzana Golja, former handball player, played for the Croatian national team *

Dario Hübner Dario Hübner (born 28 April 1967) is an Italian former professional footballer. An opportunistic forward, with an eye for goal, and an accurate finisher (with both his head and feet) and penalty taker, he was, however, questioned for his work ...

, former football player, became the oldest Serie A ''

Capocannoniere The ''Capocannoniere'' award (; literally "head gunner"), known as Paolo Rossi Award 2001–02 Serie A The 2001–02 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 100th season of top-tier Italian football, the 70th in a round-robin tournament. It was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988–89. ...

* Valner Franković, former handball player;won two Croatian Premier Leagues and two

Cups CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular computer printer, printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a Server (computi ...

with

RK Zagreb Rukometni klub Zagreb ( en, Zagreb Handball Club, ) is a men's professional handball club from Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the Croatian Premier League, SEHA League, and the EHF Champions League. RK Zagreb won 33 national championships a ...

, with which he reached the 1995 final of the Champions League *

Matea Ikić Matea Ikić (born 25 May 1989) is a Croatian volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rul ...

, volleyball player, currently playing for Kuzeyboru Spor Kulübü and the Croatian national team *

Vinko Jelovac Vinko Jelovac (alternate spelling: Vinto Jelovac) (born 18 November 1948 in Pazin, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia) is a former Slovenian-Croatian professional basketball player and coach. At a height of 2.08 m (6'10") tall, and a weight of 95 kg (210 lbs ...

, Yugoslav basketball player; with Yugoslavia he won the 1970 World Cup, as well as the 1973,

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, and 1977 EuroBasket; won the 1971 Mediterranean Games, and a silver at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

Željko Jerkov Željko Jerkov (born 6 November 1953, in Pula) is a former Croatian professional basketball player. At a height of 2.08 m (6'10") tall, and a weight of 95 kg (210 lbs.), he played at the center position. Professional career Jerkov was a member o ...

, former basketball player; represented Yugoslavia at the

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

and

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

, winning a silver and a gold, respectively; won the 1978 FIBA World Championship in the Philippines, as well as three

EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

s * Gordana Jurcan, former volleyball player, won the

1993 Mediterranean Games The XII Mediterranean Games, commonly known as the 1993 Mediterranean Games, were the 12th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Languedoc-Roussillon, France, from 16 June to 27 June 1993, where 2,598 athletes (1,994 men and 604 women) fr ...

with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, as well as a silver at the 1995 European Championship; with

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

she won two Croatian Leagues and two

* Igor Jurković, ''The Istrian Warrior'', heavyweight kickboxer, six times Croatian national champion, winner of K-1 ''Le Grand Tournoi'' in Paris and FFC Light Heavyweight World Champion, once ranked #8 in the world *

, former football player, won two Yugoslav Cups with

HNK Rijeka Hrvatski nogometni klub Rijeka ( en, Croatian Football Club Rijeka), commonly referred to as NK Rijeka or simply Rijeka, is a Croatian professional association football, football club from the city of Rijeka. HNK Rijeka compete in Croatia's top ...

, considered one of Rijeka's greatest players of all time; currently the sporting director of HNK Rijeka * Karmen Kokot, former handball player, played for

Yugoslavia women's national handball team The Yugoslavia women's national handball team was the national handball team of Yugoslavia. The team won the World Women's Handball Championship in 1973. Their achievements at the Olympic Games included a gold medal at the 1984 Summe ...

* Igor Marenić, professional sailor, won the gold at the

; the 2009 World Championships, and three European Championships (2009, 2011, 2012) * Matjaž Markič, swimmer who won several medals at the European Championships, and a bronze at the 2005 Mediterranean Games * Fran Mileta, handball player playing for Nexe and Croatia's national team * Anđelo Milevoj, former football player widely regarded as

's best defender of all timeLazzarich, Marinko (2008) (in Croatian). Kantrida bijelih snova. Rijeka: Adamić. , p. 467. * Diego Modrušan, former handball player for the Croatian national team; won the gold at the

2001 Mediterranean Games The XIV Mediterranean Games ( ar, ألعاب البحر الأبيض المتوسط 2001), commonly known as the 2001 Mediterranean Games, were the 14th Mediterranean Games held in Tunis, Tunisia, from 2-15 September 2001, where 2,991 athletes ( ...

with Croatia *

Tereza Mrdeža Tereza Mrdeža (born 14 November 1990) is a Croatian tennis player. She has won eight singles and four doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit The ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, previously known as the ITF Women's Circuit, is a series of pro ...

, tennis player * Alvaro Načinović, former handball player born in

, who represented both Croatia and Yugoslavia; won a bronze at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

; representing Croatia he won the gold at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, a silver at the 1995 World Cup and a bronze at the 1994 Euro Cup *

Sandro Nicević Sandro Nicević (born June 16, 1976 in Pula, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Croatian professional basketball player, who last played for Orlandina Basket in the Italian Serie A. Professional career Nicević started playing basketball ...

, basketball player, won a silver with Croatia at the

FIBA U18 European Championship The FIBA U18 European Championship, originally known as the European Championship for Juniors, is a youth men's basketball competition that was inaugurated with the 1964 edition. It was held biennially through the 2002 edition. From the 2004 e ...

; played at EuroBasket 1997, EuroBasket 2003, EuroBasket 2009, and represented Croatia at the 2008 Olympics * Ornela Paliska, former handball player, won the 1977 Women's Junior World Handball Championship with

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

Abdon Pamich Abdon Pamich (born 3 October 1933) is a former Italian race walker. He competed in the race walking event at the 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympics and won a bronze medal in 1960 and a gold in 1964. Pamich was the Olympics flag bearer f ...

, race walker born in Rijeka (Fiume) who won the gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics competing for Italy *

Igor Pamić Igor Pamić (born 19 November 1969) is a Croatian former professional footballer and current manager. He made five appearances for the Croatia national team during his playing career. Playing career Club He was born in the village of Žminj ...

, former football player, played for the

Croatian national football team The Croatia national football team ( hr, Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia in international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a ...

Mate Parlov Mate Parlov (16 November 1948 – 29 July 2008) was a Croatian-Yugoslavian boxer and Olympic gold medalist who was European and World Champion as an amateur and as a professional. Background Mate Parlov was born in Split, the youngest of four ...

, boxer, European Amateur Champion in

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

and 1973; World Amateur Champion in 1974, and gold medalist at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

l as a professional, he won the EBU Light Heavyweight title in 1976, and the WBC Light Heavyweight Title in 1978; born in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

, but raised in

, where he moved in his childhood * Toni Perković, basketball player playing for

and Croatia's national football team *

Adriana Prosenjak Adriana Prosenjak (born 12 July 1963) is a Croatian former handball coach and player. Considered a legendary player and a celebrated name in Croatian handball, she was the goalkeeper and the first captain of the Croatia women's national handbal ...

, former handball player, played for both

and the Croatian national team; first captain of Croatia, winning the

; named best player of Croatia in 1993, and also won the Croatian and Italian club championships and the 1991

EHF Cup The EHF European League is an annual men's handball club competition organised by the European Handball Federation (EHF) since 1981. It is the second-tier competition of European club handball, ranking only below the EHF Champions League. Previ ...

* Andrej Prskalo, football player playing for HNK Rijeka and Croatia's national football team *

Mladen Prskalo Mladen Prskalo (born 16 June 1968) is a Croatian handball coach and former player who player at the line position. He is currently head coach of Rudan Labin from Labin. He is the uncle of goalkeeper Andrej Prskalo. Career Prskalo spent the maj ...

, former handball player, played for the Croatian national team * Rene Sain, volleyball player, currently playing for

RC Cannes RC Cannes is a French women's volleyball club based in Cannes and playing in the Ligue AF. History was created as a sports club in 1922 and the volleyball department was introduced in 1942. Originally it had both men and women's teams until 19 ...

and the Croatian national team; won the

with Croatia, and a silver at the 2019 European League * Ingrid Siscovich, former volleyball player, won a silver at the 1997 Junior European Championship and a silver at the 1999 European Championship representing Croatia *

Damir Skomina Damir Skomina (born 5 August 1976) is a Slovenian former UEFA Elite category football referee. Refereeing career Skomina was the fourth referee at several UEFA Euro 2008 matches. He refereed the quarter-final match of the football tournament ...

, UEFA Elite category football referee, officiated at the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final and the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final * Simon Sluga, professional footballer currently playing for

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...

and the Croatian national team *

Giovanni Steffè Giovanni Steffè (8 March 1928 – 19 October 2016) was an Italian rower who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics. He was born in Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the c ...

, rower, won silver medal at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

coxed pair A coxed pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain. The crew consists of two rowers, each having one oar, and a cox. One row ...

Agostino Straulino Agostino Straulino (10 October 1914 – 14 December 2004) was an Italian sailor and sailboat racer, who won one Olympic gold medal and one silver medal in the Star class, and eight consecutive European championships and two world championships ...

, sailor; together with Nicolò Rode, won a gold and a silver medal at the Summer Olympics *

Roberto Sošić Roberto Sošić is a Croatian former handball player. Sošić was born in Rovinj, Istria (now Croatia, at the time Yugoslavia). He joined RK Zamet, based in Rijeka, in the early part of his career. Sošić played for many years in RK Zamet, an ...

, former handball player, played for the Yugoslav national team *

Luka Stepančić Luka Stepančić (born 20 November 1990) is a Croatian professional handball player for SC Pick Szeged and the Croatia men's national handball team, Croatian national team. Stepančić competed for Croatia in the 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 World ...

, handball player, competed for Croatia in the 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 World Championships, as well as the 2018 and 2020 European Championships, winning the silver in 2020; represented Croatia at the 2016 Summer Olympics, won the Croatian and French championships, and reached the final of the Champions League with PSG *

Vanja Udovičić Vanja Udovičić ( sr-Cyrl, Вања Удовичић, ; born 12 September 1982) is a Serbian politician and former professional water polo player who served as minister of youth and sports from 2013 to 2022. An independent politician, he is a ...

, Serbian water polo player, Ministry of Youth and Sports of Serbia, who won several medals at the summer Olympics, several European Championships, and two World Championships; father was from Istria, both of Slavic and Italian descent *

Sven Ušić Sven Ušić (born 19 August 1959) is a former Croatian professional basketball player and basketball coach, coach. At a height of 2.01 m (6'7") tall, he played as a small forward. Career Ušić started his career in his native Pula, playing for ...

, Yugoslav basketball player; represented Yugoslavia at

EuroBasket 1985 The 1985 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1985, was the 24th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. It took place from 5 to 16 June 1985 in West Germany. The Soviet Union defeated Czec ...

, playing eight games * Gašper Vinčec, sailor who won a bronze at the 2007 World Championships *

Antonio Vojak Antonio Vojak (, ; 19 November 1904 – 9 May 1975) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker or midfielder. His playing career was played out during the 1920s and 1930s. He is most noted for his time with Italian sides Juventus and Na ...

, professional footballer who played for

Juventus F.C. )''I Bianconeri'' (The White and Blacks)''Le Zebre'' (The Zebras)''La Signora Omicidi'' (The Killer Lady)''La Gheuba'' (: The Hunchback) , founded = as Sport-Club Juventus , ground = Juventus Stadium , capacity = 41,507 , owner = Agnell ...

and

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

; won the 1925–26 Serie A with Juventus, and with 102 goals with Naples is the club's top goalscorer of all time * Vasilij Žbogar, sailor born in Koper; won two silvers and a bronze at the Olympic Games File:Mario Andretti may 26 2017 Indianapolis 500 usa.jpg,

Andretti Andretti is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Mario Andretti (born 1940), Italian-born American father of the prominent Andretti racing family: ** Michael Andretti (born 1962), son of Mario *** Marco A ...

File:Damir Burić 2010.jpg, Burić File:Lino Červar - Handball-Teamchef Croatia (1).jpg, Červar File:Suresnes championnats d'Europe d'avirons 619r.jpg,

D'Este The House of Este ( , , ) is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries. The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf, included dukes of Bavaria ...

File:Samanta Fabris 2018.jpg, Fabris File:Igor Jurkovic.jpg, Jurković File:Sandro Nicevic.JPG, Nicević File:Abdon Pamich FIDAL.jpg, Pamich File:Mate Parlov 1972.jpg, Parlov File:Rene Sain - Final de los Juegos del Mediterráneo 2018.jpg, Sain File:Luka Stepancic 20151011.jpg, Stepančić File:VojakNapoli.jpg, Vojak

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Istrians Lists of lists of people