Rovinj, a town of about 15.000 inhabitants, is situated on the western coast of the Istria peninsula in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea. People have lived here for a great many centuries both because of the mild climate and also because Rovinj is ideally placed on one of most important ancient trading routes. In a gloriously rich history the legend of St. Euphemia stands out most. Euphemia was a young Christian martyr, born in Calcedon, near Constantinople, who was captured during a pogrom organized by Emperor Diocletian during the early years of the 4th century A.D. She was tortured and thrown to the lions in the year 304. A.D. She was subsequently secretly buried by fellow Christians, however her remains were removed twice and finally found peace five hundred years later when her marble coffin miraculously appeared on the Rovinj coast, about 2.000 km away from Constantinople.   To request the GISDATA Review issue Fall 2005 / Winter 2006 in pdf format (2 MB) be sent to you by e-mail please click here.