International Scientific Symposium Pietro Coppo and the Map of Istria 1525 - 2025
At the 500th anniversary of the first map of Istria drawn by Pietro Coppo, two events were held in Piran and Izola that marked this significant anniversary. The reputable anniversary of the first printed regional outline of the Istrian peninsula from 1525 joined together Piran, where the map is now held, and Izola, where cartographer Pietro Coppo spent the greater part of his life.
On 18 November 2025, the exhibition titled Histria Cartographica was opened in the Tartini House in Piran, organized by the Italian "Carlo Combi" Centre from Koper (the Promotional, Educational and Developmental Italian Centre "Carlo Combi") and the Historical and Geographical Studies Society from Piran. The exhibition is divided into two parts. On the second floor, Pietro Coppo and his codex De summa tortius orbis (Piran Codex) and few maps from the codex were presented. On the third floor, a selection of about thirty maps from the Research Centre in Rovinj was put on display, depicting the development of the presentation of Istria between the 16th and 19th centuries.
On Friday, 21 November 2025, an international scientific symposium, coordinated by Kristjan Knez, took place in the Manzioli Palace in Izola. Experts from Slovenia and Italy took part in it, all of them presenting the map of Istria from their personal perspectives, as well as its author, the time and place of its creation, and its evaluation in terms of its content.
The original highly valuable Piran Codex, containing two manuscripts and 15 printed woodcut maps, was briefly in the spotlight during both events. Each time, Nadja Terčon from the Maritime Museum Piran presented the content and material profile of Coppo's Piran Codex as well as all the activities of the Maritime Museum related to it.
The Piran Codex, which is held in the Maritime Museum Piran, is a unique example in the entire world. In 2022, it was inscribed in the Slovenian National List – UNESCO Memory of the World register among the top ten most precious documents in the Republic of Slovenia.
