Nesactium

Nesactium was the principal settlement of the Histri, the people who gave Istria its name, on a low hill above the Budava inlet. Rome besieged it in 177 BC and, according to Livy, took it by diverting the stream that supplied the town; the Histrian king Epulon killed himself as the walls were breached. The Romans then rebuilt the place as a municipium, so what is exposed on the ground is layered - Histrian walls and a necropolis beneath a Roman forum, two basilicas and street lines. Excavation began in 1900 and produced the carved stone figures, including the well known Histrian sculptures, now in the Pula museum.

What you actually see

• The Histrian capital - the people who named Istria.
• Taken by Rome in 177 BC - Livy's account of the siege and the king's death.
• Layers on one site - Histrian walls under a Roman forum and basilicas.
• Dug since 1900 - the finds themselves are in Pula.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The remains are foundations and low walls; there is nothing standing. Interpretation on site is limited. The best finds are in the Pula archaeological museum, which has had long closures. There is no shade.

Nearby

Pula is west; the Premantura peninsula is south.