Vrsar (

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

and Venetian: Orsera) is a seaside

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

and a municipality in

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...

, west

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, located 9 kilometers south of

Poreč Poreč (; known also by several alternative names) is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, west Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, which was designated a UN ...

. The historical center is located on top of a hill, including the St. Martin parish church and the 40-meter high bell tower. In the 20th century, the town expanded down the hill, into the surrounding area. It is a popular summer destination with large campsites, private accommodation units and a modern marina. It is the home of the large Koversada Naturist Campsite, the oldest in Istria.

Municipality

The municipality consists of Vrsar as the largest settlement and 8 villages in the interior, including Begi, Bralići, Delići, Flengi, Gradina, Kloštar, Kontešići and Marasi. Funtana, the nearby coastal town, was a part of the Vrsar municipality until 2006.

Town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

has 11 representatives elected every four years. Local government is based in a refurbished historical building in the central Degrassi Square.

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, its population was 1,923. with 1,535 living in the town proper. It was 2,162 in 2011. The municipality consists of the following settlements: * Begi, population 31 * Bralići, population 23 * Delići, population 21 * Flengi, population 149 * Gradina, population 44 * Kloštar, population 41 * Kontešići, population 4 * Marasi, population 75 *Vrsar, population 1535

Language

Although though the

Government of the Republic of Croatia The Government of Croatia (), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia (), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government (), is the main executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the Prime Minister of Croatia, president o ...

does not guarantee official Croatian-Italian bilinguialism here, the statute of Vrsar itself does.

History

Vrsar was part of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

(1420-1797), then of the French

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

firstly, and

Illyrian Provinces The Illyrian Provinces were an autonomous province of France during the First French Empire that existed under Napoleonic Rule from 1809 to 1814. The province encompassed large parts of modern Italy and Croatia, extending their reach further e ...

till 1814. After the fall of Napoleon, it was part of the

Austrian Littoral The Austrian Littoral (, , , , ) was a crown land (''Kronland'') of the Austrian Empire, established in 1849. It consisted of three regions: the Margraviate of Istria in the south, Gorizia and Gradisca in the north, and the Imperial Free City ...

up to 1915 then became part of

(1918–1947) after which it was part of

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

until 1991 when incorporated in the Republic of Croatia.

Naturist Park

The Koversada Naturist Park is located 2 kilometers south of Vrsar. It has over 1100 camping emplacements, 350 with their own water and 600 with internet connections. It is situated in ninety hectares of olive groves on the shore and on a tiny island. It is linked to the town by a tourist train.

Notable people

* Francesco Carpenetti (born 1942), Italian footballer * Lino Červar (born 1950), Croatian handball coach * Egidio Grego (1894–1917), Italian aviator * Antonio Quarantotto (1897–1987), Italian swimmer

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of Croatia Populated places in Istria County Vrsar Populated places in Croatia where Italian is an official language