The Praetorian Palace ( sl, Pretorska palača, it, palazzo Pretorio) is a 15th-century

Venetian Gothic Venetian Gothic is the particular form of Italian Gothic architecture typical of Venice, originating in local building requirements, with some influence from Byzantine architecture, and some from Islamic architecture, reflecting Venice's trading ...

palace in the city of Koper, in southwest

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. Located on the southern side of the city's central Tito Square (at ''Titov trg/piazza Tito 3''), it houses the Koper city government and a wedding hall. It is considered one of the city's architectural landmarks.

History

An earlier municipal hall existed on the same site by 1254, before the square itself (then called the ''Platei Comunis'', established around 1268.) Work on a new building began after the original was destroyed during a major revolt in 1348, but the incomplete building was again destroyed in 1380 by a Genoese raid that sacked and burned the city in that year. The current structure dates from the mid-15th century, having been begun in 1452-1453. The left wing and the portico leading from the square to the colorful ''via Calegaria'' (''Čevljarska ulica'', "Cobblers' Street") were the first to be completed, while the right wing dates from the 1480s. In 1505, the ''Porto del Corte'' was added; the renaissance gateway supports a small terrace and connected the Praetorian Palace with the ''Foresteria''. The external staircase facing Tito Square was completed in 1447. In 1481, Giovanni Vitturi replaced peaked gothic windows with semicircular renaissance ones. The arms of the city governors on the facade attest to the fact that the balustrade was not completed until the beginning of the 16th century. The center of the

crenellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

portico features a statue of

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

. The main facade took its present shape in 1664, when a thorough renovation rearranged the numerous plaques and arms set into it. Additional ornaments and signage are fixed into the palace's Cobblers' Street wall, testifying to its status during the time it served as the seat of the city

podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...

(a joint civil and military authority), the Captaincy, and the Grand Council (an assembly of the city's

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

). The fall of the

Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

in 1797 caused the palace to lose much of its importance, as the deliberative bodies that had met in it were now defunct. During the 19th century, Austrian authorities moved the seat of the mayoralty to the Armerija Palace. Interwar plans by Italy, which had gained Koper in 1918, to restore it as the municipal seat were not realized. The palace continued to gradually decay until 1968/1969, when it was rehabilitated

in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...

, and a restaurant called "Capris" was opened in the ground floor. A more thorough renovation was carried out between 1991 and 2001, at a cost of 800 million SIT (3.34 million

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...

). After its completion, the palace resumed its historic role as city hall; the offices of the mayor and the municipal council of Koper were relocated to it in May 2001. Wednesday, 5 April 2017

References

{{coord, 45, 32, 52.52, N, 13, 43, 46.64, E, type:landmark_region:SI, display=title Palaces and mansions in Koper Venetian Gothic architecture Gothic architecture in Slovenia Houses completed in the 15th century