Koper - city of the mediterranean soul

Koper is one of the oldest cities in Slovenia, with a rich history dating back to the Middle Bronze Age.

Once an island, Koper was first settled in the times of ancient Rome, and the area has since been the site of several different governments and countries, with the result that it has been known by different names. 

The original name of the settlement on the island on which the town now stands was Aegida, in Roman times Capris, later Insula Capraria (Goat Island), the Byzantines called it Justinopolis, and the Patriarchs of Oglesia called it Caput Histriae (Head of Istria). 

The Venetians, who left the greatest mark on the area, gave it the name Capo d'Istria (Head of Istria). The name Capodistria, along with the Slovene version - Koper, is still used today.

The town's economic and cultural heyday was greatest during the Venetian Republic (13th-18th centuries), a period that is still evidenced by the town's architecture, while the island's image began to decline as the salt marshes (which were finally closed in 1912) were depleted. 

After the fall of the Venetian Republic, the area of Koper was ruled by the Austrians, with a brief interregnum under Napoleon, then changes during and after the two great wars, Koper was part of Yugoslavia, and since 1991 it has been part of the independent state of the Republic of Slovenia.