Emperor Claudio decided to give part of the land around Labin to some of his most valuable soldiers when they retired from the army service. This was the practice during the Roman time also with other Empire owned properties in Istria.

Many relevant Roman citizens established their residence in Istria and were the owners of the very famous Roman villas in Valbandon, Barbariga, Fazana, Medulin, the Brioni islands, and many other places on the western coast.

Labin was mentioned for the first time by Artemidoro from Efeso that lived 100 BC. Later on Labin was mentioned also by Plinio and Tolomeo as Alvum in his “Tabulae”.

Greece used to name Labin Alouon. In Peutingeriana’s tables from the 3rd century was named Alvona.

The oldest stone inscription “res publica Albonesium” dates back in the 3rd century, exactly in 245. In 173, Marco Aurelio, gave to Labin the status of “respublica” in order to defend the oriental borders of the Empire.

This decision gave to Labin the rights to collect taxes and to control other communities.

In the 7th century the geographer from Ravenna named it Alvona. In the 10th century the Byzantine Emperor Constantino Porfirogenito named it as Castron Albonos. The Arab writer Edrisi in the 13th century named Labin Albunah that could be translated as peopled town.

The origin of the name might be Celtic. “Alb” or “Alv” would mean mount or hill and “ona” would mean a human settlement. Labin is probably over 3500 years old settlement.

It is also interesting the fact that in Labin, among other things, was found a Greek helmet that dates back in the 6th century BC. This helmet with other Greek goods found in Istrian tombs confirms that Istrian inhabitants at the time already had commercial relationships with Greek civilisation.

Labin followed the history of most other Istrian towns and villages and after the fall of Roman Empire was for a short period of time under Gothic dominion and later on was part of the Byzantine Empire.

In 592 and 599 Labin was destroyed twice by Slavs inroads. Later on Labin was dominated by Longobards and Frankonians of Charlemagne.

From 952 until 1208 various Marquis families dominated the area. In the 11th and 12th century the Istria had an important immigration of Slav population that is proved by the fact that in 1152 the road that goes from Porec through Pazin until Labin was named “via Sclavorum”.

German feudal lords in the eastern part of Istria were in favour of the immigration because they needed people to work on their land.

From 1207 until 1420 Labin was under the Aquileia Patriarchs dominion. The Aquileia Patriarchs were less powerful compared to Venice and Venice was in favour of the creation of Istrian municipalities. This is the reason why Labin passed to Venice after the fall of the Aquileia Patriarchs dominion in Istria.

In 1295 Count of Gorizia and Count of Pazin occupied Labin for a year and then were forced to return it to the legitimate owners. In 1326 a group of people led by Drusacio from Labin organized a rebellion against the Aquileia Patriarchs and two years later they were sentenced as guilty and forced to pay an indemnity.

In 1330 Pietro from Kostel occupied for four years Labin and when the Aquileia Patriarchs lost Pula in 1331 Labin was among the last Aquileia Patriarchs’ strongholds in Istria.

It is important to note that also Labin had its town statute written in latin already in 1341. The statute was renewed in 1397 and translated in a dialect language in the mid of the 15th century.

After the fall of the Aquileia Patriarchs dominion, in 1420, Labin passed under Venice Republic. It was the Captain of Raspo Giovanni Correr that invited people of Labin to accept Venice dominion.

The heads of Labin families voted in favour of this decision in the Parish Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Labin remained part of Venice until its fall in 1797.

In the 15th and 16th century Labin lived a very good period and several important families emerged at the time like: Scampicchio, Lupetini, Luciani, Bertossa and Battiala.

In 1485 the family Scampicchio founded the hospital in the town. The defence walls were repaired and expanded and also five defence towers were built. The most beautiful Labin’s palaces were built in the following centuries.