In 1999 I also designed and carved in wood the Smrikve coat of arms which represents a mosaic of symbols.

The green shield with a yellow cross is the town of Pula coat of arms. In its buildings we can stilll see the many civilisations that have lived there, during its over three thousand year long history.

The whole Istria from Smrikve is a very short story of this long history.

The second symbol we come across is the symbol of the Smrikva Bowl that in the coat of arms also represents the sun.

The sun is the fountain of life and above the sun you can see the wings of a seagull, which symbolically represent freedom.

The shape of the coat of arms has two meanings. The first one is linked to the shape of Istria, at the tip of which is found the town of Pula and Smrikve. The second meaning is found in the shape of the heart.

Love is the cosmopolitan value par excellence, as far as people and humanity are concerned. Various forces have driven human energy over time: ideology, religion, hate, but the purest has always been love.

Istria from Smrikve’s virtual book aims to introduce the reader to Istrian culture and give some tips on how to spend your holiday in Istria and Smrikve and which towns you should consider visiting.

It also has the scope of further promoting Smrikva Bowl and Villa Smrikve.

I hope you enjoyed the visit of Istria from Smrikve and here below is some historical information about Stinjan village where Smrikve is located.

Stinjan is another very old Istrian settlement. In particular three sites in Stinjan have been inhabited since prehistoric times: Kasteljir, Vrh or Castion and Monte Grosso.

It is likely that Monte Gon, located on a 57 meter high hilltop, was another prehistoric hill fort settlement.

Kasteljir is located on a 45 meter high hilltop just a few hundred meters away from Smrikve. During the 19th century the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy built an important fortress that was part of the defensive system of Pula.

Castion is located about three hundred meters to the west of Smrikve. A pinus pinea wood separates Smrikve from this 43 meter high Castion hilltop.

The third prehistoric location in Stinjan is located on Monte Grosso.

To reach Monte Grosso you need to go in the centre of Stinjan and take the road that passes nearby the church and goes towards the cemetery.

After hundred meters you have to take the country road that goes towards the hilltop to the right. On Monte Grosso you will find the ruins of another Austro-Hungarian fortress built in the 19th century.

It is a nice mountain bike trail to reach the hilltop... and is not that easy one.

The recommended moment to decide to visit the fortress is in the evening, before the sunset. I am sure you will get surprised. The site is not protected thus to reach the top of the ruined fortress you have to be very careful.