Brijini Archipelago: story of Kupelwieser, Koch and cultivation of 14 islands.

the Northern Adriatic, has always been widely recognized for the beauty of its nature and mild, Mediterranean climate. It was well populated even in Roman times, although the oldest traces of human life date from as early as Paleolithic. Istria was settled by Croats in the 7th century. Its history abounds with battles and legends, especially from the periods of famine and plague. Due to a specific mentality and culture of the area, Istria became the cradle of Glagolitic Croatian literature. Often called terra magica, it is today the most developed tourist region in Croatia, with more than two million visitors each year. Throughout the history, the peninsula was ravaged by different epidemics. Plague almost wiped out the population inhabiting the area and many a town became completely deserted (1). Malaria was an Istrian reality for centuries and its destructive consequences have been reported by various physicians (2-4). It was particularly severe before the use of chinchona bark, a therapy introduced in Europe in the early 17th century but unknown in Istria until the second half of 18th century (1). One of the greatest focal points of malaria were the Brijuni islands, located across the Fažana Channel to the southwest of Istrian coast. Mild climate favors growth of dense flora of Mediterranean and subtropical type, and numerous lagoons and ponds make a fertile soil for mosquitoes, which played a decisive role in malaria transmission. The Brijuni were inhabited as early as prehistoric times. In the mid-second millennium B.C., the Illyrian tribe of Histri lived here. Under Roman rule in 177 B.C., islands were named Pullariae. Archeological findings in Verige bay (see cover page) of Veli Brijun indicate there once stood an imperial summer residence, a luxurious Roman villa rustica from the first century A.D., as well as three temples, residences for priests, baths, waterworks, sewage system, and so on. During Byzantine rule, life was centered in Dobrika. A well-fortified fortress testifies that people lived there from the 2nd century B.C. to the 14th century A.D. (5). Medieval remains, on the other hand, preserved evidence of another type of architecture and specific mentality. A rectangular tower-dungeon from the 12th century, a three-nave basilica of Benedictine monastery, and St German’s and St Roch’s churches reflect a culture deeply rooted in Christian religion, so typical of medieval Europe. In the 14th century, the Brijuni islands came under Venetian rule but were soon abandoned because of malaria, remaining almost deserted in the following centuries because of the disease, as evidenced by historical records. Brijuni Archipelago: Story of Kupelwieser, Koch, and Cultivation of 14 Islands