Tartini Square is the central square Piran and the place where the old town core meets the sea. Until 1894 there was no square here but a mandrač, an inner harbour for fishing boats, which was filled in for reasons of stench and hygiene. That is precisely why the square has an elliptical shape: it is the outline of the former harbour basin. It is named after the violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini, who was born in Piran in 1692.
The most important town buildings stand around the square, so you can take it as the starting point of your day. On the north side stand the Town Hall with the Tartini monument in front of it and the Venetian House, a Gothic house with characteristic windows above the square. Beside them are the Church of St Peter, the Courthouse, the Town Loggia and Tartini's birthplace. Because all these buildings are in one place, you can walk the square in ten minutes, but allow more time to see the interiors.
The square gained its present appearance on the tercentenary of Tartini's birth, when it was redesigned by the architect Boris Podrecca. The plaza is paved with white Istrian stone, which strongly reflects light on a sunny day, so at midday the square is markedly bright and hot. The elliptical layout deliberately preserved the outline of the mandrač that stood here until the end of the 19th century. For a photograph, choose the early morning, when the square is still empty.
The square is a venue and not just a space to pass through, so something happens here throughout the year. In summer the square is usually the venue for concerts and open-air events, while through the year it is the gathering place where the town meets. Because Piran is small, the goings-on spread quickly from the square into the surrounding streets and onto the pier. What is on the programme is published at turistični ponudbi Pirana na portalu in pri mestnem turističnem informacijskem centru.
The square is the starting point for exploring the old core and the coast, and from here you can head in two directions. From here you can climb the narrow streets up to the town walls with a view of the Bay of Piran, or walk along the coast to the cape at the end of the core. If you are looking for beaches and a wider range of offerings, the place to go is Portorož a few minutes away, and for a broader overview of this part of Slovenia take a look at the destination The Coast and the Karst.
It is loveliest early in the morning or towards evening, when the bright stone no longer reflects so much light and when the square fills with people. In summer it is hot and shadeless on the square at midday, so at that time it is better to choose the shady streets of the core. Spring and autumn are the most rewarding, because the town is lively while there is less crowding, so choose them if you can. In winter the square is quiet and often windy, because it is open towards the sea.
