Koper celebrates its 1500th anniversary

Koper, one of Slovenia's oldest towns, was once an island in north-western Istria.  Today's city centre is limited to the ancient island, while its present appearance is the result of a 2000-year-long continuous development that began in Roman times. According to tradition, the first bishop of Koper was St Nazarius. He was born between 470 and 480 in the Istrian village of Elpidium - Boste - Boršt. St Nazarius was consecrated Bishop of Koper in 524. The year 524 is therefore also associated with the foundation of the city of Koper. This year, Koper celebrates its 1500th anniversary. Throughout the year, a series of cultural events will take place; from exhibitions, scientific symposia, conferences and public debates, to theatre festivals, publications and other interesting activities. A detailed calendar of events can be found below:

Events Koper Capodistria 1500

January

• 16 January - 13 February: Exhibition "KOPER-CAPODISTRIA 1500 (524-932) (Old Loggia)

February

• Old city centre: Decoration of the city
• 7 February: Press conference (at 11.00) and Aperitif with  Nazarius ( Koper Regional Museum)
• 8 February - 16 February: the Koper Regional Museum: The statue of St Nazarius before restoration
• Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Exhibitions of valuable prints and chorographies of Koper
• 16 February - 12 March: Old Loggia: Bibliotheca iustinopolitana – The book treasury of Koper
• 17 February: Koper Theatre: Lepo je biti Koprčan (It's nice to be a Capodistrian)
• Tiepolo-Gravisi Palace ISR Koper: Santorio Santorio Day
• Svetilnik: a cultural periodical

March

• 5 March: Central Library  Srečko Vilhar Koper: The Greek codex of Koper - a Slovenian unicum 
• 13 March - 3 April: Old Loggia:  The Archive and the Square - The Archive of the Koper commune and the centre of Koper in the Middle Ages
• 16 March: Brunch on the square and vintage chats over coffee
• 20 March: Small Loggia and Tito Square: Guided Tour: The Archives Tell
• 21 - 24 March: University of Primorska - Faculty of Humanities:  Conference "Sustainability: Challenging mindsets through heritage interpretation"
• 21 -22 March: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: International Scientific Conference Divina
• 28 March: Centre for Humanities Koper of the Science and Research Centre Koper: Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Institute for Kinesiology Research and presentation of the works of Santorio Santorio

April

• Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Symposium on the restitution of the two altar paintings and organ shutters  by V. and B. Carpaccio to the Cathedral
• 2 April: Celral Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: The presentation of the handwritten land registry or the Catastico of the Benedictine Monastery of St. Nicholas in Oltra-Ankaran (Ms. 1569-70)
• 2 - 5 April: Mediterranean Health Centre of the Science and Research Centre Koper: Santorio’s Legacies: a Santorio workshop for primary school pupils
• Old Loggia: Exhibition - Carpaccio
• 20 April: Ice cream day in Koper

May

• 1 May - 21 May: Old Loggia: "The Symbols of Koper'' exhibition
• Tiepolo-Gravisi Palace - ISR Koper: Symposium "A decade of decadence: Citizenship, belonging and indifference to the State in the North-Adriatic border area, 1914-1924"
• 8 May: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Presentation of the first complete translation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey by the humanist Andrea Divo from Koper (Venice, 1537) and presentation of his translations of Theocritus, Hesiod and Aristophanes
• 17 May - 19 May: Feast of Refosco and Slovenian Istria
• 22 May - 5 June: Old Loggia: Forum Tomizza exhibition
• 22 May - 26 May: Street Art Fest Koper
• 30 May:  Altroke Istria Gourmet Festival
• City Tower: Opening of the renovated premises

June

• 5 June: Central Library Srečko Vilhar  Koper: Presentation of the works of the Capodistrian humanist Girolamo Muzio (16th century)
• 5 June - 2 July: Old Loggia: St. Nazarius Exhibition
• 7 June: Diocese of Koper: Presentation of a compendium on the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Bell Tower and presentation of the restored portraits of the Bishops of Koper (Mira Ličen)
• 8 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Holy Mass and Blessing of the liturgic vestments with lace, patterned after Paleo-Christian symbols from the 6th century stone slab
• 14 June: Rotunda of Mary's Assumption: Blessing of the restored Rotunda of Mary's Assumption
• 15 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Solemn choir and organ concert, with the  opening of the exhibition of old liturgic vestments in the baptistery
• 15 June: Koper Regional Museum: Summer Museum Night
• 16 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Solemn Holy Mass in honour of St Nazarius and the procession with the statue
• 19 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: The Feast of St. Nazarius and concelebration by all the priests of the Diocese of Koper
• Palace Gravisi-Buttorai Koper: Exhibition: "St Nazarius and Koper. History, devotion, art, tradition and the legacy of the Serenissima''
• 27 June: Altroke Istria Gourmet Festival

July

• Old Loggia: Modernist Koper exhibition
• 25 July: Altroke Istria Gourmet Festival

August

• University of Primorska - Faculty of Humanities: Summer school of conservation
• Old Loggia: Tourist Attractions of Koper exhibition
• Koper Theatre: festival Pri Svetilniku (At the Lighthouse)
• 29 August: Altroke Istria Gourmet Festival

September

• Praetorian palace: "The Koper Cathedral" Symposium
• 3 September: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Presentation of the Capodistrian humanist and reformer Peter Paul Vergeri Jr.: "Actiones duae secretarii pontificii" (Basel, 1556)
• 4 September - 1 October: Old Loggia: "The Urban Morphology of Koper" exhibition
• International Summer School of Museology
• 28 September - 29 September: Altroke Sladka Istra Koper

October

• Divina - Symposium on Capodistrian Humanists; five Capodistrians who changed the world
• 2 October - 5 November: Old Loggia: Exhibition of the Association of friends of youth Koper - Art competition: "Tito Square and Koper Cathedral"
• Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Symposium on the restitution of the two altar paintings and organ shutters  (V. and B. Carpaccio) to the Cathedral
• 8 October: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Presentation of the commentary on Avicenna's Canon by Santorio Santorio (Venice, 1626), Capodistrian humanist and founder of modern medical practice
• 14 October - 18 October: "The Turkish Books of the Koper Library" - Presentation of the printed edition of the collection, from Bibliotheca iustinopolitana no. 12
• Svetilnik: a cultural periodical
• Koper Regional Archives and Koper Regional Museum:  Presentation of the Statute of Koper of 1423

November

• Koper Regional Archives: Exhibition"The plans of Koper's noble palaces''
• 6 November - 3 December: Old Loggia: Exhibition "The plans of Koper's noble palaces''
• 5 November: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Presentation of the oldest Capodistrian humanist, B. Monaldo Giustinopolitano (La Summa Monaldina, Ms.-NUK, 15th century, Lyon, 1516)
• 8 November: Koper: St Martin's Path
• 22 November - 23 November: Young Olive Oil
• 30 November: Festive lights switch-on

December

• 1 December 2024 - 1 January 2025: Fantazima
• 2 December: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Red and Black Editions of the g choir books by the Venetian typographer Lucantonio Giunta (Venice, 1500-1503)
• 4 December 2024 - 5 January 2025: Loggia: Bartolomeo Gianelli exhibition
• Koper Regional Museum: ''200 Years of the Painter Bartolomeo Gianelli'' exhibition
• Srečko Vilhar Central Library Koper: Philatelic exhibition on the occasion of a commemorative stamp, seal and envelope issue
• University of Primorska - Faculty of Humanities: Presentation of the scientific monograph on the legal protection of cultural heritage