MUGGIA
In the last stretch of Italy, the coast seems to fall back on itself and this is where Muggia Bay lies, a typical Istrian-Venetian resort. When you dock at the picturesque harbour, it will almost seem as if you are entering the narrow Venetian lanes and small squares. The Venetian atmosphere is not only inspired by the architecture; the dialect, customs and gastronomic traditions reveal an intense past 70
shared with the Most Serene Republic of Venice. If you look at Muggia from the sea, the white Istrian stones and the colourful houses create a harmonious whole with the green Karst environment. It is framed by seven kilometres of coastline and a range of hills that dominate over a vast Italian and Istrian area. Just before the year 1000, a small town called Borgolauro developed in the valley
at the marina; the Municipality of Muggia stemmed from this new village in the thirteenth century. The cathedral and town hall, which were rebuilt in the twentieth century, are from that era. However, up on the headland that overlooks the harbour, there is evidence of an even older history: the remains of the protohistoric castellieri (fortified boroughs) of Santa Barbara and Muggia Vecchia,
