Description

This unique manuscript map shows a Croatian town Pazin (here named with the Italian name Pisino), located in the center of the Istrian peninsula, in the 1920s.

Pazin, together with continental Istria, has been a part of the estates to the Austrian House of Habsburg since late 14th century as a part of Carniola, but the region kept its independence with administration in Pazin under the name of Duchy of Pazin.

In 1918, after WWI Pazin was given, together with Istria to the Italian government. As a result Italy started the Italianisation of the region, with changing the street names and enforcing Italian language on the local people. By mid 1920s Slavic languages were forbidden in the region, causing a long-term complex relationship between area and Italy.

In 1943, during WWII, the city was taken over by the Yugoslav partisans and after the war the Italians were mostly expelled from the region. Today Istria is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia.

This map was probably made for government purposes around 1920, when the streets of Pazin were Italianised to names such as Corso Vittorio Emanuele III and Piazza Regina Elena, after the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947) and his wife Elena of Montenegro (1873-1952).

Corrections of street numbers and some of the names of the streets have been added with different pens and pencils.

Manuscript maps of Pazin are very rare and were mostly made for government purposes.