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
- 4 April: Old Loggia: Artistic Intervention – Image and Symbol: Exhibition by the students of the Visual Arts and Design programme
- Old Loggia: Exhibition – Carpaccio
May
- 1 May – 21 May: Old Loggia: “The Symbols of Koper” exhibition
- 16 May: Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper: Literary pearls of the Koper Library: Muzio Iustinopolitano, a contemporary and opponent of Vergerio, the Younger: Presentation of the works of the Capodistrian humanist Girolamo Muzio (16th century)
- 17 May – 19 May: Festival of Refosco and Slovenian Istria
- 22 May – 5 June: Old Loggia: Forum Tomizza exhibition
- 22 May: Servite monastery: Renovation of a Servite monastery: presentation of the research, the starting point and the renovation programme
- 22 May – 26 May: Street Art Fest Koper
- 29 – 30 May: Center for Humanities of the Science and Research Centre, Koper: Symposium “A decade of decadence: Citizenship, belonging and indifference to the State in the North-Adriatic border area, 1914-1924”
- 30 May: Altroke Istria Gourmet Festival – Boršt
- 31 May: Reception hall at the diocesan headquarters: Presentation of the monograph The Cathedral in Koper – 1500 years since the nomination and arrival of St. Nazarius.
- 31 May – 15 September: Galerry Loggia: Marko Brecelj: Ložacija Nesprijaznjenega (The Lodgement of the Unreconciled), a retrospective exhibition of the cultural legacy of Marko Brecelj
June
- 7 june – 22 June: Rotunda of St. John the Baptist: Exhibition of portraits of the bishops of Koper
- 8 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Holy Mass with blessing and presentation of the new lace vestments. Holy Mass and blessing of the new lace vestments, modelled on the paleo-christian symbols from a 6th-century stone tablet.
- 10 June – 18 June: Churches in the Diocese of Koper: A novena in honour of Saint Nazarius
- 12 June – 2 July: Old Loggia: St. Nazarius and the Koper confraternities – exhibition opening
- 12 June: Lobby of Koper Regional Archive: Mariegole: display of the mariegole of St Nazarius and St Anthony, the abbot (14th century)
- 13 June: Koper Regional Archive: Mariegole: St. Nazarius and the Koper confraternities, Rino Cigui, Kristjan Knez, Mirjana Kontestabile Rovis, Deborah Rogoznica
- 14 June: Rotunda of Mary’s Assumption or Rotunda of Saint Elias: Blessing and presentation of the renovated Rotunda of Saint Eliah
- 15 June – 16 June: Prešeren Square – St Nazarius Fair
- 15 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Sacred Music concert – Coastal Chamber Orchestra and organist Wladimir Matešić
- 15 June: Koper Regional Museum: Summer Museum Night
- 16 June: Gortan Square, Pristaniška Street, Kidričeva Street, Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Procession and solemn Holy Mass in honour of Saint Nazarius
- 18 June: Gravisi-Buttorai Palace and Tarsia Palace: The exhibition ” Saint Nazarius and Koper. History, Piety, Art, Tradition and Legacy of the Serenissima”
- 18 June: Praetorian palace: Videomapping of Koper’s history on the facade of the Praetorian Palace
- 19 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Solemn concelebration of all the priests of the Diocese of Koper
- 19 June: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Presentation of the brochure on St Nazarius and the exhibition
- 19 June – 3 July Commemorative postmark of St Nazarius at post office 6004 Koper (by the bus station) and issue of a commemorative envelope and personal postage stamp A. (Philatelic Society Koper and Koper Diocese)
- 21 June: Seat of the Community of Italians, Gravisi Palace: 26th Briscola Tournament for the St Nazarius Cup
- 21 June: Grand Opening of the Renovated Koper Bell Tower
- 22 June: Koper Bay and Taverna: 18th St Nazarius Cup of sport fishing by boat
- 22 June: A pilgrimage on walking to Boršt, the birthplace of Saint Nazarius. Reception of pilgrims at the Church of St. Nazarius in Škrljevac
- 22 June: Boršt 1500 Boršt 1500
- 27 June: Altroke Istria Gourmet Festival
- City Tower: Opening of the renovated premises
July
- 10 July – 13 August: Old Loggia: Exhibition Modernist Koper
- 25 July: Dekani: 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
- 31 August: Rotunda: Ex tempore in the Rotunda, conference, discussions on painting. Organised by Dragan Klarica and Coastal Galleries Piran, in cooperation with the Parish of Koper.
- 31 August: Loggia Gallery: Visit to the exhibition by Marko Brecelj with a banquet. Organised by Dragan Klarica and Coastal Galleries Piran, in cooperation with the Parish of Koper.
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
- 27 september – 24 November: Borut Popenko: Odpiranja (Openings) -personal exhibition in cooperation of the Piran Coastal Galleries with the Maribor Art Gallery
- 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
