By the fall of the great Roman Empire, the area where present day Opatija stands was under the control of the Byzantine Empire until the Slavs arrived in the area around the 7th century. By the 12th century, the Franks arrived and with them, the city flourished. However, it was not until the construction of the St. James monastery during the 15th century that the present day Opatija would be born.

Opatija, Istria, Croatia by Vzach

In 1844, the city of Opatija became one of the first resort towns along the Adriatic Sea when the Villa Angelina was constructed and opened its doors to guests for the first time. Soon after, the Grand Hotel Kvarner would open its doors and help mold the city into the resort town it is today.

The Villa Angelina still stands today and one can even visit it as it has since been turned into a museum. It is located in the middle of the town’s botanical gardens which are simply an awe-inspiring place to visit. The gardens cover 3.64 hectares and are home to more than 150 plant species. The Grand Hotel Kvarner still accepts guests on a regular basis and is still one of the most popular hotels in the city.

There are many medieval buildings located throughout Opatija as well as several prehistoric ruins to see while you are in town. In the nearby Učka Natural Park, artifacts dating back to the 1th century B.C. have been unearthed. There are many great locations of historical importance to visit when you are in Opatija.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Steve Cadman

The Winchester Cathedral is considered to be the worship place for Christians on the present cathedral for more than two millennia. According to the research on history of this church, the building was built on the same place already in AD 169, when Lucius, king of the Britons, was converted to Christianity. As per these evidences the Winchester Cathedral is measured to be far older cathedral than the Canterbury.

It is found that the church has been destroyed several times and have been rebuilt the same number of times. The most popular bishop of the Winchester cathedral was St. Swithin. He was considered to be named as the bishop of Winchester cathedral in the early 852 and was very popular for his services to the poor and helpless in the name of humanity. There is also not a lot of information about him to be known. The present-day building of Winchester cathedral was built in the year 1079 in the Baroque style.

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Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia by Giovanni Dall’Orto

Soon after the completion of the main road, which connected the town to Altinum, Aquileia would grow to become a powerful and wealth commercial center. At the peak of its time, the town of Aquileia was home to more than 200,000 Romans. The city was known for its glassmakers.

In 452, the town was attacked by Attila the Hun and set ablaze. Many of the glassmakers who had helped make the town prosperous, relocated to the area surrounding the Venetian Lagoon. It is here at the lagoon that some of the most famous glass shops min the entire empire rose.

Archaeological Area, Aquileia, Italy by Zumzum

The town of Aquileia today is a park which is opened to the general public. Many of the ruins in Aquileia such as the forum, necropolis and harbor can be visited by year round by the general public. Many people also take the time to wander through the two neighborhoods in Aquileia that have been recently opened to the public as well. There are two different museums in Aquileia that house the many artifacts that have been uncovered over the years in the archeological dig sites located throughout Aquileia.

It is important to note that the original Roman basilica which had been built back in the 3rd century was destroyed during the attacks of Attila the Hun. The present day basilica was built on the ruins of the originally by order of the House of Savoy back in 1031.

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