Balbi’s Arch and Marshal Tito Square

Rovinj’s old town was originally a fortified island settlement, and its principal gate opened from the harbour onto the main street. In 1678–1679 the old gate was rebuilt as the present Balbi’s Arch, taking the name of the Balbi family whose crest is carved on the arch. The Venetian lion and carved heads on the arch reflect the town’s long period under Venetian rule from 1283 to 1797, which shaped its urban layout, civic spaces and architecture. Marshal Tito Square developed as the harbour-facing civic space beside the Clock Tower at the entrance to the historic core, and it remains the town’s main public square.