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For the village in Azerbaijan, see Piran, Azerbaijan; for the patron saint of Cornwall, see Saint Piran.

Občina Piran Comune di Pirano
Area:	44.6 km²
Population	16.758
- males	8.109
- females	8.649
Mayor:	Tomaž Gantar
Average age:	39,28 years
Residential areas:	37,17 m²/person
- households:	6.390
- families:	4.815
Working active:	{{{workers}}}
- unemployed:	{{{unemployed}}}
Average monthly salary ({{{salary_date}}}):
- gross:	{{{avg_salary_bruto}}}
- net:	{{{avg_salary_neto}}}
College/university students:	694
Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002.

Piran (Italian Pirano) is a town and municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast along the Gulf of Piran. The origin of the name is uncertain, with some scholars favouring derivation from the Celtic "bior-dun" (settlement on the hill), while others prefer the Greek word "pyr" (fire), a reference to the lighthouse on the tip of the peninsular¹

The town resembles a large open-air museum, with medieval architecture and a rich cultural heritage. Narrow streets and compact houses give the town its special charm. Piran is the administrative centre of the local area and one of Slovenia's major tourist attractions.

Demographics

The municipality has 16,758 (2002) inhabitants and covers an area of 46.6 square kilometres; the town has 4,576 (2002) inhabitants in a single square kilometre. The municipality is bilingual, both Slovenian and Italian are official languages.

Location

Piran is an old Mediterranean town situated at the tip of the Piran peninsula on the Gulf of Piran. It adjoins Croatia to the south, to the east the municipalities of Izola and Koper and faces Italy across the Gulf of Trieste and the Adriatic Sea. The highest point, Baretovec pri Padni, is 289 metres high.

History

In the pre-Roman era, the hills in the Piran area were inhabited by the Illyrian Histri tribes. These were farmers, hunters and fishermen. They were also pirates who disrupted Roman trade in the north Adriatic Sea¹.

The Piran peninsular was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 178 and 177 B.C. and settled in the following years with rural homes ("ville rusticae"). The decline of the Empire, from the 5th century AD onwards, and incursions by the Obers and Slavs at the end of the 6th century, prompted the Roman population to withdraw into easily defensible locations such as islands or peninsulars. This started local urbanisation and by the 7th century, under Byzantine rule, Piran had become heavily fortified. Despite the defences, the Franks conquered Istria in 788 and Slavs settled in the region. By 952, Piran had become a part of the Holy Roman Empire¹.

The earliest reliable records of the area are in the 7th century work Cosmographia by an anonymous cleric of Ravenna. Here, the name "Piranon" (Piran) was referred to as a Roman town on the Istrian coast¹.

Piran is the birthplace of composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (born April 8, 1692), who played an important role in shaping its cultural heritage. The town's main square, Tartini Square (Slovenian: Tartinijev trg, Italian: Piazza Tartini), is named after him.

To mark the 200th anniversary of Tartini's birth, the people of Piran decided to erect a monument in his honour. Venetian artist Antonio dal Zotto was commissioned to create the larger-than-life bronze statue of the "maestro", which was eventually mounted on its pedestal in 1896. The statue dominates the square, overlooked by the Cathedral of St. George.

The municipality's festival is on October 15, which celebrates the foundation of the first naval detachment Koper in the year 1944. The municipality has an international airport and a marina.

Twin towns

Piran participates in town twinning arrangements to encourage international contacts and understanding.

Gallery

Tartinijev trg with the cathedral of St. George	Tartinijev trg at night
Piran seen from its beach

References

External links

• Municipality of Piran
• Information Portal of Piran
• Multimedia Center of Piran
• Piran travel guide from Wikitravel

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Piran

Coordinates: 45°32′N 13°34′E / 45.533, 13.567