A star-shaped castle with four bastions was built in 1630 in Pula, the administrative centre of the Istrian peninsula, located near its southern tip. Wishing to protect the city and its harbour, because of it great significance in maritime trade in the North Adriatic, the Venetians commissioned the building of the Castle from the French military architect Antoine de Ville.
This was most probably the site of an earlier fortress dating from the pre-Roman and Roman period. The Histrian hill-fort was primarily built for defensive purposes, whereas in the Roman period a small military garrison was stationed here. Today the Castle houses the Historical and Maritime Museum of Istria.
