Koper

Major sights in Koper include the 15th-century Praetorian Palace and Loggia in Venetian Gothic style, the 12th-century Carmine Rotunda church, and St. Nazarius' Cathedral, with its 14th-century tower. ==Names==

The Italian name of the city was anciently written as ''Capo d'Istria, and is reported on maps and sources in other European languages as such. Ancient names of the city include Ægidia and Justinopolis. The Slovene population calls the city Koper. The Slavic population, present in the area since at least the late 7th century, largely relied on oral tradition up to the invention of printing. The Slovenian name Koper was first attested in writing in 1557, but with the spelling Copper''. ==History==

Koper began as a settlement built on an island in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Koper in the northern Adriatic. Called Insula Caprea (Goat Island) or Capro by Roman settlers, it developed into the city of Aegida, The history of the city of Koper and the origin of its original name dates back to antiquity: Aegida is a Greek-Etruscan name reminiscent of the aegis (shield) of the Greek goddess of wisdom and knowledge Athena. The ancient Roman name of the town, Capris, is said to derive from the fact that goats were raised on an island where there was no settlement at first.In 568, Roman citizens of nearby Tergeste (modern Trieste) fled to Aegida due to an invasion of the Lombards. In honour of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian II, the town was renamed Justinopolis. and Haile Selassie in Koper in 1959] In 1420, the Patriarch of Aquileia ceded his remaining possessions in Istria to the Republic, consolidating Venetian power in Koper. Koper grew to become the capital of Venetian Istria and was renamed Caput Histriae 'head of Istria' (from which stems its modern Italian name, Capodistria). The 16th century saw the population of Koper fall drastically, from its high of between 10,000 and 12,000 inhabitants, due to repeated plague epidemics. When Trieste became a free port in 1719, Koper lost its monopoly on trade, and its importance diminished further. According to the 1900 census, 7,205 Italian, 391 Slovenian, 167 Croatian, and 67 German inhabitants lived in Koper. Assigned to Italy from Austria-Hungary after World War I, at the end of World War II it was part of the Zone B of the Free Territory of Trieste, controlled by Yugoslavia. Most of the Italian inhabitants left the city by 1954, when the Free Territory of Trieste formally ceased to exist and Zone B became part of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1977, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Koper was separated from the Diocese of Trieste. With Slovenian independence in 1991, Koper became the only commercial port in Slovenia. The University of Primorska is based in the city. The influence of the Port of Koper on tourism was one of the factors in Ankaran deciding to leave the municipality in a referendum in 2011 to establish its own municipality. ==Architecture==

Koper's 15th-century Praetorian Palace is located on the city square. It was built from two older 13th-century houses that were connected by a loggia, rebuilt many times, and then finished as a Venetian Gothic palace. Today, it is home to the city of Koper's tourist office. The city's Cathedral of the Assumption was built in the second half of the 12th century and has one of the oldest bells in Slovenia (from 1333), cast by Nicolò and Martino, the sons of Master Giacomo of Venice. The upper terrace is periodically open and offers a great view of the Bay of Trieste. In the middle of it hangs the Sacra Conversatione painting from 1516, one of the best Renaissance paintings in Slovenia, made by Vittore Carpaccio. == Climate ==

Koper has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). There is a substantial amount of rainfall in Koper, even in the driest month, with each month averaging well over . This climate is considered to be Cfa according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The average temperature in Koper is . The average annual rainfall is . == Demographics ==

In the past, Italian was the most common language spoken in the town, but its presence decreased sharply after Slovenian Istria was incorporated into Yugoslavia in 1954, with most of the ethnic Italians leaving the town. Today, Koper is officially bilingual, with both Slovene and Italian as its official languages, with Italian being mainly used as a secondary language by the Slovene-speaking majority. Slovene dominates with virtually all citizens speaking it, followed by pockets of speakers of Italian and Croatian. ==Culture==

Festival The Jazz Etno Funky Festival (often referred to as JEFF) is held annually in July and August in Koper, in the gardens of the Regional Museum of Koper. It is one of the most popular music festivals in Slovenian Istria. The event was founded in 2003 and today features artists of a wide array of music genres including jazz, funk, world, folk and other styles. It is organised by activists of the SAK - Students' Association of Koper. Some of the most notable artists who have taken part in JEFF since its inception include: Vasko Atanasovski, Gwen Hughes, Perpetuum Jazzile, Kelvis Ochoa, Terra Folk produkcija, Kisha, Bratko Bibič, New Swing Quartet, Fake orchestra, Olivija, Dazhbog ensemble, Caña Flamenca, Ansasa Trio, Aritmija, Aljoša Jerič, Ratko Dautovski, Vocalissimo, Greentown Jazz Band, Areia, Erik Marenče, Ethnodelia, Die Resonanz, Kaneo, Sedef, Nino Mureškič, Jure Tori, Ewald Oberleitner, K3, Mahnimal, Adrabesa Quartet and many others. Sports The main association football club is FC Koper, who currently play in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top flight of Slovenian football, having won it once. == Transport ==

First established during the Roman Empire, the Port of Koper has played an important role in the development of the area. It is among the largest in the region and is one of the most important transit routes for goods heading from Asia to central Europe. In contrast to other European ports, which are managed by port authorities, the activities of the Port of Koper comprise the management of the free zone area, the management of the port area, and the role of the terminal operator. The city does not have its own airport; the closest one is Trieste Airport, which is located 65 km north of Koper. == Prominent citizens ==

• Gian Rinaldo Carli (1720–1795), man of letters • Vittore Carpaccio (), painter. Born in Venice, lived in Koper (then Capodistria) • Vittorio Italico Zupelli (1859–1945), Italian general and minister • Katharina Graf (1873–1936), politician • Vlatko Čančar (born 1997), professional basketball player • Lucija Čok (born 1941), linguist, politician • Zlatko Dedić (born 1984), football player • Domenico da Capodistria (born late 14th century), architect • Lorella Flego (born 1974), TV entertainer • Enej Jelenič (born 1992), footballer • Andreja Klepač (born 1986), professional tennis player • Tinkara Kovač (born 1978), singer • Matjaž Markič (born 1983), swimmer • Dragan Marušič (born 1953), former rector of the University of Primorska • Davor Mizerit (born 1981), rower • Igor Pribac (born 1958), philosopher • Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini (1910–1965), journalist and writer. Born in Pazin (then Pisino), lived in Koper (then Capodistria) • Mladen Rudonja (born 1971), football player • Tomaž Šalamun (1941–2014), poet • Santorio Santorio (1561–1636), medical scientist • Nazario Sauro (1880–1916), Italian irredentist and sailor • Spartaco Schergat (1920–1996), military frogman, caused damage to the British battleship Queen Elizabeth in 1941. Italian gold medal in the Second World War • Damir Skomina (born 1976), football referee • Francesco Trevisani (1656–1746), painter • Pier Paolo Vergerio the Elder (1370–1444/1445), humanist, statesman and canonist • Pier Paolo Vergerio the Younger (1498–1565), man of the Church • Gašper Vinčec (born 1981), professional Finn Class Sailor • Vittorio Italico Zupelli (1859–1945), general, minister ==International relations==

Twin towns and sister cities Koper is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Odgovori na vprašanja članic in članov občinskega sveta • Buzet, Croatia • Corfu, Greece • Ferrara, Italy • Jiujiang, China • Muggia, Italy • Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada • San Dorligo della Valle, Italy • Žilina, Slovakia ==Gallery==

File:Koper - Verdijeva ulica 10 (občina).jpg|Town Hall File:Koper Administrative Unit.jpg|Administrative Unit File:Osrednja knjižnica Srečka Vilharja Koper.jpg|Srečko Vilhar Library File:Pałac corner koper.jpg|Corner Palace File:Exterior of Koper Regional Museum 02.jpg|Regional Museum File:Koper Luška kapetanija.jpg|Kapetanija File:Exterior of St. James's Church (Koper) 01.jpg|St. James' Church File:Italian consulate - Koper.jpg|Italian Consulate File:Column of Justina of Padua (Koper) 02.jpg|Column of Justina of Padua File:Cerkev SV. Bassa (3).jpg|St. Bassus' Church File:Jedna ze studni na placu brolo 4.jpg|Brolo Square Fountain File:Koper - hiša Kidričeva 28.jpg|House on Kidrič Street File:Kidric street st nicholas.jpg|Kidrič Street File:Koper (119) (3958295632).jpg|Carpaccio Square File:Buildings in Koper 04.jpg|View from Čevljarska Street File:Palača Čevljarska 17.jpg|Palace on Čevljarska Street File:Ulica cankara 1 3.jpg|Cankar Street File:Blick auf den Hafen von Koper Capodistria (52976883311).jpg|Port of Koper ==References==