Pula Pola
—  City  —
City of Pula Grad Pula – Città di Pola[1]
Aerial view
Flag Coat of arms
Pula Location of Pula in Croatia
Coordinates: 44°52′N 13°51′E / 44.867°N 13.85°E / 44.867; 13.85Coordinates: 44°52′N 13°51′E / 44.867°N 13.85°E / 44.867; 13.85
Country	Croatia
County	Istria County
Government
• Mayor	Boris Miletić (IDS)
Area
• City	51.65 km2 (19.94 sq mi)
• Land	41.59 km2 (16.06 sq mi)
• Water	10.09 km2 (3.90 sq mi)  19.54%
Elevation	30 m (100 ft)
Population (2006)
• City	62,080
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
• Metro	90,000
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	52100
Area code	052
Website	pula.hr

Pula (pronounced [pǔːla]; Latin: Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola Pollentia Herculanea; Italian: Pola; Istro-Romanian: Pola; Chakavian: Pulj, German: Polei, Slovene: Pulj) is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 (2006). Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism. Pula has also been Istria's administrative center since ancient Roman times.

Population[link]

Bronze model of Pula

Pula is the largest city in Istria county, with a metropolitan area of 90,000 people. The city itself has 62,080 residents (2005), while the metropolitan area includes Barban (2,802 residents), Fažana (3,050 residents), Ližnjan (2,945 residents), Marčana (3,903 residents), Medulin (6,004 residents), Svetvinčenat (2,218 residents) and Vodnjan (5,651 residents).

Its population density is 1,093.27 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,831.6 /sq mi), ranking Pula fifth in Croatia.

Its birth rate is 1.795 per cent and its mortality rate is 1.014 per cent (in 2001 466 people were born and 594 deceased), with a natural population decrease of −0.219 per cent and vital index of 78.45.

The majority of its citizens are Croats representing 71.65% of the population (2001 census). Ethnic minorities and their composition is as follows: 3,415 Serbs (5.83 per cent), 2,824 autochtonous Italians (4.82 per cent), 980 Bosniaks (1.67 per cent), 731 Slovenians (1.25 per cent) and the rest belong to other minor ethnic communities.^[2]

History[link]

Pre-history[link]

The Arena (colosseum) in Pula

Evidence of presence of Homo erectus at 1 million years ago have been found in the cave of Šandalja near Pula.^[3] Pottery from the Neolithic period (6000–2000 BC), indicating human settlement, have been found around Pula. In the Bronze Age (1800–1000 BC), a new type of settlement appeared in Istria, called 'gradine', or Hill-top fortificatations.^[4] Many late Bronze Age bone objects, such as tools for smoothing, for drilling, sewing needles, as well as bronze spiral pendants, have found in the area around Pula.^[5] The type of materials found in Bronze Age sites in Istria connects these with sites around the Danube.^[5] The inhabitants of Istria in the Bronze Age are known as Proto Illyrians.^[5]

The foundation of the settlement based on archaeological evidence dates to ca. the 10th century BC.^{[dubious – discuss][6]} Greek pottery and a part of a statue of Apollo have been found, attesting to the presence of the Greek culture.^[7]

Greek tradition attributed the foundation of Polai to the Colchians, mentioned in the context of the story of Jason and Medea, who had stolen the golden fleece. The Colchians, who had chased Jason into the northern Adriatic, were unable to catch him and ended up settling in a place they called Polai, signifying "city of refuge".^[8]

Ancient period[link]

View of coast through Pula Arena.

In classical antiquity, it was inhabited by the Histri,^[9] a Venetic or Illyrian tribe recorded by Strabo in the 1st century AD The Istrian peninsula was conquered by the Romans in 177 BC,^[9] starting a period of Romanization. The town was elevated to colonial rank between 46–45 BC as the tenth region of the Roman Empire, under Julius Caesar.^[9][10] During that time the town grew and had at its zenith a population of about 30,000. It became a significant Roman port with a large surrounding area under its jurisdiction. During the civil war of 42 BC of the triumvirate of Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus against Caesar's assassins Brutus and Cassius, the town took the side of Cassius, since the town had been founded by Cassius Longinus, brother of Cassius. After Octavian's victory, the town was demolished. It was soon rebuilt at the request of Octavian's daughter Iulia and was then called Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola Pollentia Herculanea'. Great classical constructions were built of which a few remain. A great amphitheatre, Pula Arena was constructed between 27 BC – 68 AD,^[11] much of it still standing to this day. The Romans also supplied the city with a water supply and sewage systems. They fortified the city with a wall with ten gates. A few of these gates still remain: the triumphal Arch of the Sergii, the Gate of Hercules (in which the names of the founders of the city are engraved) and the Twin Gates. During the reign of emperor Septimius Severus the name of the town was changed into "Res Publica Polensis". In 354 AD the town was the site of Gallus Caesar's execution. In 425 AD the town became the centre of a bishopric, attested by the remains of foundations of a few religious buildings.^[9]

Middle Ages[link]

Chapel of St. Mary Formosa

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the city and region were attacked by the Ostrogoths, Pula being virtually destroyed by Odoacer, a Germanic foederati general in 476 AD^[12] The town was ruled by the Ostrogoths from 493 to 538 AD^[12] When their rule ended, Pula came under the rule of the Exarchate of Ravenna (540–751). During this period Pula prospered and became the major port of the Byzantine fleet and integral part of the Byzantine Empire.^[12][13] The Basilica of Saint Mary Formosa was built in the 6th century.^[12]

From 788 on Pula was ruled by the Frankish kingdom under Charlemagne, with the introduction of the feudal system.^[13][14][15] Pula became the seat of the elective counts of Istria until 1077. The town was taken in 1148 by the Venetians and in 1150 Pula swore allegiance to the Republic of Venice, thus becoming a Venetian possession. For centuries thereafter, the city's fate and fortunes were tied to those of Venetian power. It was conquered by the Pisans in 1192 but soon reconquered by the Venetians.^[16]

In 1238 Pope Gregory IX formed an alliance between Genoa and Venice against the Empire, and consequently against Pisa too. As Pula had sided with the Pisans, the city was sacked by the Venetians in 1243. It was destroyed again in 1267 and again in 1397 when the Genoese defeated the Venetians in a naval battle.

Pula then slowly went into decline. This decay was accelerated by the infighting of local families: the ancient Roman Sergi family and the Ionotasi (1258–1271) and the clash between Venice and Genoa for the control of the city and its harbour (late 13th – 14th century ). In 1291 – by the Peace of Treviso – Patriarch Raimondo della Torre gained the city as part of the secular realm of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, only to lose it to Venice in 1331, which then held it until its downfall in 1797.

Pula is quoted by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who had visited Pula, in the Divine Comedy: "come a Pola, presso del Carnaro ch'Italia chiude e i suoi termini bagna" or "as Pula, along the Quarnero, that marks the end of Italy and bathes its boundaries".

Venetian, Napoleonic and early Habsburg rule[link]

The Venetians took over Pula in 1331 and would rule the city until 1797. During the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, Pula was attacked and occupied by the Genoese, the Hungarian army and the Habsburgs; several outlying medieval settlements and towns were destroyed. In addition to war, the plague, malaria and typhoid ravaged the city. By the 1750s there were only 3,000 inhabitants left in ancient city, an area now covered with weeds and ivy.^[17]

With the collapse of the Venetian Republic in 1797 following military defeat at the hands of Napoleon, the city became part of the Habsburg Monarchy. It was invaded again in 1805 after the French had defeated the Austrians. It was included in the French Empire's puppet Kingdom of Italy, then placed directly under the French Empire's Illyrian Provinces.

Austro-Hungarian rule and union to Italy[link]

Austro-Hungarian dreadnoughts at Pula.

In 1813, Pula and Istria were restored to the Austrian Empire (later the Austro-Hungarian Empire), and became part of the Austrian Littoral crown land. During this period Pula regained prosperity. From 1859 Pula's large natural harbour became Austria's main naval base and a major shipbuilding centre.^[18][19] It was chosen for this honour by Hans Birch Dahlerup, a Danish admiral in the service of Austria.^[17] The city transformed from a small city with a fading antique splendour into an industrial town. The island of Brijuni to the south of Pula became the summer vacation resort of Austria's Habsburg royal family.

In World War I, the port was the main base for Austro-Hungarian dreadnoughts and other naval forces of the Empire.^[18]

During this period many inhabitants were Italian speaking. The 1910 Austrian census recorded a city population of 58,562 (45.8% Italian speaking; 15.2% Slavic).^[20] However, this census focused on the spoken language, not the self declared ethnicity of the citizens.

Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Pula and the whole of Istria – except the territory of Kastav – were given to Italy under the peace treaty.^[19] Pula (Pola) became the capital of the Province of Pola. The decline in population after World War I was mainly due to economic difficulties caused by the large-scale reduction of the Austro-Hungarian military and bureaucratic facilities and the dismissal of workers from its shipyard.^[21]

Under the Italian Fascist government of Benito Mussolini, non-Italians, especially Slavic residents, faced huge political and cultural repression and many fled the city and Istria altogether. In September 1920, Mussolini stated:

When dealing with such a race as Slavic - inferior and barbarian - we must not pursue the carrot, but the stick policy ... We should not be afraid of new victims ... The Italian border should run across the Brenner Pass, Monte Nevoso and the Dinaric Alps ... I would say we can easily sacrifice 500,000 barbaric Slavs for 50,000 Italians ...

—Benito Mussolini, speech held in Pula, 20 September 1920^[22][23]

The Nazi German army entered to fill the vacuum left by retreating Italian soldiers. The whole city became part of “Küstenland”, the occupied zone under the Third Reich.^[24] During German military rule (1943–1945), Pula was integrated into the Operational Zone Adriatic Coast, a German occupation zone. The city then saw a very difficult period: arrests, deportations and executions of people suspected of helping the Partisans' guerilla struggle. The city was subjected to repeated Allied air raids during the Second World War (Pula was a German u-boat base from 1942–1944).

Post-WWII and modern era[link]

Pula University building.

For several years after 1945, Pula was administered by the United Nations. Istria was partitioned into occupation zones until the region became officially united with the rest of Croatia within the SFR Yugoslavia on 15 September 1947. Pula formed an enclave of the Zone "A" defined by the Morgan Line within SFR Yugoslavia, occupied by a company of the United States 351st Infantry and a British battalion of the 24th Guards Brigade.

When the city was ceded to SR Croatia, a republic of SFR Yugoslavia, upon the ratification of the Italian Peace Treaty on 15 September 1947, creating the Free Territory of Trieste, its population of 45,000 was largely made up of ethnic Italians. However, between December 1946 and September 1947, most of the city's Italian residents opted to emigrate to Italy during the Istrian exodus: on 18 August 1946 it was the site of the Vergarola explosion and on 10 February 1947 an Italian woman named Maria Pasquinelli shot British general De Winton.

Subsequently, the city's Croatian name, 'Pula', became the official name, while the former Italian one was 'Pola'. Since the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1992, Pula and Istria have become part of the modern-day Republic of Croatia.

Geography and climate[link]

Map of Istria

The city lies on and beneath seven hills on the inner part of a wide gulf and a naturally well-protected port (depth up to 38 metres (125 ft)) open to the northwest with two entrances: from the sea and through Fažana channel.

Today, Pula's geographical area amounts to 5,165 hectares (12,760 acres), 4,159 hectares (10,280 acres)^[25] on land and 1,015 hectares (2,510 acres) at sea, bounded from the north by islands Sv. Jerolim and Kozada, city areas Štinjan, Veli Vrh and Šijanic forest; from the east area Monteserpo, Valmade, Busoler and Valdebek; from the south with the old gas works, commercial port Veruda and island Veruda; and from the west Verudela, Lungomare and Musil.

Protected from the north by the mountain chain of Alps as well the inner highland, the climate is Mediterranean, very pleasant, with the highest air temperature averaging 24 °C (75 °F) during August and lowest averaging 6 °C (43 °F), in January. Summers are usually warm during the day and cooler near the evening, although some strange heat wave patterns are also common.

Primarily, there is a lot of moisture in the air. Temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F) last for more than 240 days a year. There are two different kinds of winds here – the bura brings cold and clear weather from the north in winter, and the southern jugo (jug=south) bringing rain in summer.^[26] The 'Maestral' is a summer breeze blowing from the inland to the sea.

Like the rest of the region Pula is known for its mild climate, tame sea, and unspoiled nature with an average of sunny days of 2,316 hours per year or 6.3 hours a day, with an average air temperature of 13.7 °C (56.7 °F)^[27] (6.1 °C (43.0 °F) in February to 26.4 °C (79.5 °F) in July and August) and sea temperature from 7 °C (45 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F).^[28][29][30]

	57 km (35 mi) to Poreč	67 km (42 mi) Motovun	106 km (66 mi) Rijeka
		Pula    East
			81 km (50 mi) Mali Lošinj

Sights[link]

The Arch of the Sergii

Temple of Roma and Augustus

The city is best known for its many surviving ancient Roman buildings, the most famous of which is its 1st century amphitheatre, which is among the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world.^[11] and locally known as the Arena. This is one of the best preserved amphitheatres from antiquity and is still in use today during summer film festivals. During the World War II Italian fascist administration, there were attempts to disassemble the arena and move it to mainland Italy, which were quickly abandoned due to the costs involved.

Two other notable and well-preserved ancient Roman structures are the 1st century AD triumphal arch, the Arch of the Sergii and the co-eval temple of Rome and Augustus, built in the 1st century AD built on the forum during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus.

The Twin Gates (Porta Gemina) is one of the few remaining gates after the city walls were pulled down at the beginning of the 19th century. It dates from the mid-2nd century, replacing an earlier gate. It consists of two arches, columns, a plain architrave and a decorated frieze. Close by are a few remains of the old city wall.

The Gate of Hercules dates from the 1st century. At the top of the single arch one can see the bearded head of Hercules, carved in high-relief, and his club on the adjoining voussoir. A damaged inscription, close to the club, contains the names of Lucius Calpurnius Piso and Gaius Cassius Longinus who were entrusted by the Roman senate to found a colony at the site of Pula. Thus it can be deduced that Pula was founded between 47 and 44 BC.

The Augustan Forum was constructed in the 1st century BC, close to the sea. In Roman times it was surrounded by temples of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. This Roman commercial and administrative centre of the city remained the main square of classical and medieval Pula. It still is the main administrative and legislative centre of the city. The temple of Roma and Augustus is still preserved today. A part of the back wall of the temple of Juno was integrated into the Communal Palace in the 13th century.

Two Roman theatres have withstood the ravages of time: the smaller one (diam. circa 50 m; 2nd c. AD) near the centre, the larger one (diam. circa 100 m; 1st c. AD) on the southern edge of the city.

The city's old quarter of narrow streets, lined with Medieval and Renaissance buildings, are still surfaced with ancient Roman paving stones.

The Byzantine chapel of St. Mary Formosa was built in the 6th century (before 546) in the form of a Greek cross, resembling the churches in Ravenna. It was built by deacon Maximilian, who became later Archbishop of Ravenna. It was, together with another chapel, part of a Benedictine abbey that was demolished in the 16th century. The floors and the walls are decorated with 6th century mosaics. The decoration bears some resemblance to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia at Ravenna. The wall over the door contains a Byzantine carved stone panel. The 15th-century wall paintings may be restorations of Early Christian paintings. When the Venetians raided Pula in 1605, they removed many treasures from this chapel to Venice, including the four columns of oriental alabaster that stand behind the high altar of St Mark's Basilica.

Church of St. Francis

The Church of St. Francis dates from the end of the 13th century. It was built in 1314 in late Romanesque style with Gothic additions such as the rose window. The church consists of a single nave with three apses. An unusual feature of this church is the double pulpit, with one part projecting into the street. A 15th-century wooden polyptych from an Emilian artist adorns the altar. The west portal is decorated with shell motifs and a rose window. The adjoining monastery dates from the 14th century. The cloisters display some antique Roman artifacts.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in the 6 th century, when Pula became the seat of a bishopry, over the remains over the original site where the Christians used to gather and pray in Roman times. It was enlarged in the 10th century. After its destruction by Genoese and Venetian raids, it was almost completely rebuilt in the 15th century. It got its present form when a late Renaissance façade was added in the early 16th century. The church still retains several Romanesque and Byzantine characters, such as some parts of the walls (dating from the 4th century), a few of the original column capitals and the upper windows of the nave. In the altar area and in the room to the south one can still see fragments of 5th to 6th-century floor mosaics with memorial inscriptions from worshippers who paid for the mosaics. The windows of the aisles underwent reconstruction in Gothic style after a fire in 1242. The belfry in front the church was built between 1671 and 1707 with stones form the amphitheatre. There also used to stand a baptistery from the 5th century in front of the church, but it was demolished in 1885.

The Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas with its Ravenna-style polygonal apse, originally dates from the 6th century, but was partially rebuilt in the 10th century. In 1583 it was assigned to the Orthodox community of Pula, mainly immigrants from Cyprus and Nauplion. The church owns several icons from the 15th and the 16th century and an iconostasis from the Greek artists Tomios Batos from the 18th century.

A Roman relief at the Archaeological Museum of Istria

The star-shaped castle with four bastions is situated on top of the central hill of the old city. It was built, over the remains of the Roman capitolium, by the Venetians in the 14th century, following the plans of the French military architect Antoine de Ville. Since 1961 it now houses the Historical Museum of Istria. Close by, on the north-eastern slopes, one can see the remains of a 2nd-century theatre.

The Archaeological Museum of Istria is situated in the park on a lower level than the Roman theatre and close to the Twin Gates. Its collection was started by Marshall Marmont in August 1802 when he collected the stone monuments from the temple of Roma and Augustus. The present-day museum was opened in 1949. It displays treasures from Pula and surroundings from prehistory until the Middle Ages.

Culture[link]

As a result of its rich political history, Pula is a city with a cultural mixture of people and languages from the Mediterranean and Central Europe, ancient and contemporary. Pula's architecture reflects these layers of history. Residents are commonly fluent in foreign languages, especially Italian, often also German and English. From 30 October 1904 to March 1905 Irish writer James Joyce taught English at the Berlitz School; his students were mainly Austro-Hungarian naval officers who were stationed at the Naval Shipyard. While he was in Pula he organised the local printing of his broadsheet The Holy Office, which satirised both William Butler Yeats and George William Russell.^[31]

Economy[link]

The Uljanik shipyard in Pula

Major industries include shipbuilding, processing industry, tourism, traffic, food industries, construction industries and other non-metal industries.

Major companies located in Pula:

• Arenaturist d.d. (tourism)
• Bina Istra d.d. (construction industry)
• Brionka d.d. (food industry)
• Cesta d.o.o. (construction industry)
• DURAN Group d.d. (glass production)^[32]
• Istra cement d.o.o. (cement production)
• Istragradnja d.d. (construction industry)
• Tehnomont (shipbuilding)
• Uljanik Uljanik (shipbuilding)
• Uniline d.o.o (tourism)

Sport[link]

• Football -NK Istra 1961 (first Croatian league) and NK Istra (third Croatian league)
• Volleyball -OK OTP Banka Pula (first Croatian league)
• Handball -RK Arena
• Basketball -KK Stoja and KK Pula1981
• Swimming -SK Arena
• Judo -JK Istarski borac and JK PulaFit
• Rowing -VK Istra
• Tennis -Smrikve Tennis Club (Smrikva Bowl)

Tourism[link]

View of marina in Verudela

The natural beauty of Pula's surrounding countryside and turquoise water of the Adriatic have made the city an internationally popular summer vacation destination. The pearl nearby is Brijuni national park visited by numerous world leaders since it was the summer residence of Josip Broz Tito. Roman villas and temples still lie buried among farm fields and along the shoreline of the dozens of surrounding fishing and farming villages. The coastal waters offer beaches, fishing, wreck dives to ancient Roman galleys and World War I warships, cliff diving, and sailing to unspoiled coves and islands large and small.

Pula is the end point of the EuroVelo 9 cycle route that runs from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia.

It is possible to track dinosaur footprints on the nearby sea shores; certain more important finds have been made at an undisclosed location near Bale.

In 2008 Pula Tourist Board with Parabureau design agency initiated the project of branding the City of Pula. The project won The Rebrand 100 Global Award.

Transport[link]

Pula had an electric tramway system in the early 20th century. It was built in 1904 as a part of Pula's economic crescendo during the Austro-Hungarian rule. After WWI, during the Fascist rule, the need for tram transportation declined and it was finally dismantled in 1934.

Pula Airport is located north-east of Pula, and serves both domestic and international destinations.^[33] Similarly to nearby Rijeka Airport, it is not a major international destination. However, this is likely to change as low-cost airline, Ryanair has started scheduled flights to Pula since November 2006. Nearby international airports include Trieste in Italy, Zagreb, Croatia's capital and Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital. There are direct flights into Pula airport from London and Dublin during whole year and several other large airports in Western Europe during summer.

A train service operates north from Pula through to Slovenia, however the line remains disconnected from the rest of the Croatian Railways network. Plans to tunnel the 'missing link' between this line and from Rijeka have existed for many years, and despite work commencing on this project previously, has never seen completion.

Buses serve Pula from a wide range of local, domestic and international locations and operate from the large bus terminal on the edge of the city centre. Public bus operation is run by Pulapromet.

Passenger ferries also operate from the port area to nearby islands, and also to Venice and Trieste in Italy from June till September.

Nearby towns and villages[link]

Bale Banjole Barban Brijuni Fažana

Galižana Ližnjan Medulin Pomer Premantura

Šišan Štinjan Valtura Vinkuran Vodnjan

Beach in Verudela, Pula.

International relations[link]

Twin towns – sister cities[link]

Pula is twinned with:^[34]

Other forms of city partnership

• Szeged, Hungary^[40]
• Veles, Macedonia^[41]

Friendly relationships

See also[link]

• List of people from Pula
• List of ancient cities in Illyria
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Poreč-Pula

Notes[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Turner, J. (2 January 1996). Grove Dictionary of Art (New ed.). USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517068-7. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pula

• City of Pula Official homepage
• Pula travel guide from Wikitravel
• Tourism Office Pula
• Archaeological Museum of Istria
• Audio interview with Pula resident about life in Pula (English)
• Pula in pictures

v t e Cities and major settlements of Croatia by population 100,000+ Osijek Rijeka Split Zagreb 35,000+ Bjelovar Dubrovnik Karlovac Kaštela Pula Samobor Šibenik Sisak Slavonski Brod Varaždin Velika Gorica Vinkovci Zadar 10,000+ Beli Manastir Belišće Benkovac Čakovec Crikvenica Đakovo Daruvar Duga Resa Dugo Selo Garešnica Gospić Imotski Ivanec Ivanić-Grad Jastrebarsko Kastav Knin Koprivnica Krapina Križevci Kutina Labin Makarska Metković Našice Nova Gradiška Novi Marof Novska Ogulin Omiš Opatija Petrinja Pleternica Ploče Poreč Požega Rovinj Sinj Slatina Solin Sveta Nedelja Sveti Ivan Zelina Trogir Umag Valpovo Virovitica Vrbovec Vukovar Zaprešić Županja

v t e Subdivisions of Istria County Cities and towns Buje Buzet Labin Novigrad Pazin (seat) Poreč Pula Rovinj Umag Vodnjan Municipalities Bale Barban Brtonigla Cerovlje Fažana Funtana Gračišće Grožnjan Kanfanar Karojba Kaštelir-Labinci Kršan Lanišće Ližnjan Lupoglav Marčana Medulin Motovun Oprtalj Pićan Raša Sveti Lovreč Sveta Nedelja Sveti Petar u Šumi Svetvinčenat Tar-Vabriga Tinjan Višnjan Vižinada Vrsar Žminj

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Sandy & Junior
Background information
Origin	Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Genres	Pop, pop rock, latin pop, bubblegum pop (early)
Years active	1989–2007
Labels	Polygram (1991-1998) Universal (1999-2007)
Website	http://sandyejunior.com.br

Sandy & Junior was a Brazilian pop music duo consisting of siblings Sandy Leah Lima (born January 28, 1983) and her brother Durval de Lima Junior (born April 11, 1984). Sandy and Junior are Brazilians.

They first gained notoriety by being the children of Xororó from popular country duo Chitãozinho & Xororó.

Sandy & Junior began by singing children's songs and country-influenced tracks (their first single, "Maria Chiquinha", is a classic country song). Once they reached adolescence, they changed their style to pop-influenced songs, mainly ballads and upbeat songs. The style change was in 1997.

They had a self-titled weekly television series between 1999 and 2002 on Rede Globo and released the movie Acquaria in 2003; Sandy also starred in the soap opera Estrela Guia (Globo) in 2001. Earlier, they had appeared in Renato Aragão movie O Noviço Rebelde, in 1997.

On April 17, 2007 Sandy & Junior announced that an MTV Unplugged album to be recorded in May 2007 would be their final work together, through a video posted on their website addressed to their fans and in a press conference, stating also that their career as a duo would be over at the end of 2007.

Both have experienced solo work: Junior moved on to being the drummer of alternative rock band Nove Mil Anjos (which also featured former Charlie Brown Jr. member Champignon on bass guitar); Sandy, on the other hand, took a couple of years off to finish her Bacherlor's Degree in Portuguese/English and marry long-time beau Lucas Lima, who not only happened to share her last name, but is also a well-known classical/pop musician, composer and head of the musical group Família Lima.

In 2009, Junior took on the artistic name of Junior Lima and started a series of guest appearances on the concerts of Crossover Live, created by DJ Julio Torres and Amon Lima, (also from Família Lima and Lucas Lima's brother). The Crossover Live project plays on night clubs mixing classical music from a live violin and electronic music from a DJ. The guest appearances turned into yet another branch of the already alternative project, called Dexterz.

Junior is currently touring both South and North Americas with Dexterz, and taking on occasional jobs as a music producer and/or director.

In 2010, Sandy released her first solo album, which was produced by husband Lucas Lima and brother Junior Lima. She co-wrote every single track and is now touring the country.

Their 17 years of career has granted them partnerships with several national and international artists, such as Xuxa, Roberto Carlos, Milton Nascimento, Laura Pausini, Toquinho, Gilberto Gil, Ivete Sangalo, Enrique Iglesias and Andrea Bocelli, and more than 15 million albums sold around the globe, making them the ninth best selling Brazilian artists of all time.

Accomplishments[link]

This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (December 2011)

According to their record company, those are their accomplishment during their 17 years together as a duo^[1]

• 15 albums released
• Over 15 million albums sold
• Over 30 chart-topping hits
• 6 DVDs
• 63 award nominations
• Over 1.600 concerts in Brazil and worldwide
• 8 huge tours
• Over 32 million tickets sold
• First local acts to sell out Maracanã
• Over 300 licensed products
• 1.300 fan clubs
• Over 120,000 fans associated to their official fan club
• 5 seasons of their sitcom in Rede Globo
• 2 theatrical movies
• 1 telenovela
• Over 500 appearances on TV shows
• 20 Gold Certifications (for over 100.000 copies sold)
• 28 Platinum Certifications (for over 250.000 copies sold)
• 8 Diamond Certifications (for over 1 million copies sold)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]