ation: THE INNER HARBOUR, PIRANO

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A castle, the residence of the count or burgrave, was built nearly
opposite the cathedral, with a wall falling sheer to the sea; this wall
was still in existence in 1483, and was seen by Sanudo, but it was
destroyed soon after. Venice gradually laid a heavier hand on this part
of the eastern shore of the Adriatic, and, though the citizens struggled
to retain their independence, the year 1283 saw the dedition of Pirano.
Yet it always retained the right of displaying its own standard of S.
George in the Piazza by the side of that of S. Mark. The existing bases
for the support of these standards date from 1464 and 1466, and bear
the figure of S. George on one, and S. Mark's lion on the other, with
the arms of the podestas who ruled in those years. On the base of the
Venetian standard the measures of length then in use are engraved. The
standards for measures of capacity were three hollows sunk in a stone
which once stood at the foot of the stair of the communal palace. This
palace was demolished in 1877. It was a building erected in 1291,
outside the circuit of the walls as it then existed, "to show that a new
spirit ought to animate the citizens to forget their ancient divisions,"
as a chronicler says. From 1264 Venice practically had control of the
government, being the principal customer for the salt, which was (and is
still) the chief product of the place.

The city is an irregular triangle in plan, and is divided into four
sections, known as "Porte"--Porta Muggia, Porta Domo, Porta Misana, and
Porta Campo. Walls enclosed each of these sections, which were thrown
down by Venice at the same time that many of the nobles' towers were
destroyed; but some portions remain here and there, utilised for the
erection of later houses. Round the "Punta," the most ancient part of
the city, are remains of early walls, thought to be late Roman. The
Venetians allowed only one wall for protection, and the present towered
portion, so conspicuous along the crest of the hill, was finished in
1488. The suburb, the Borgo Marzana, which stretched along the shore,
was also enclosed within their circuit by 1533. They recall those of
Soave and Marostica in North Italy, where the houses cluster round the
piazza below, and the hillside is covered with olives, through and above
which the line of battlements may be traced high above the tops of the
campanili. The harbour was once larger than i