The Archaeological Museum of Istria has opened a new "Window to the Past" titled "Washbasin as Witness of Time: The Legacy of the Gavardo Family". The exhibition by author Aleksandra Mahić Sinovčić is installed at Carrarina 4 and can be viewed until January 27, 2026, and a accompanying trilingual catalog has been printed as part of the exhibition.
The exhibition presents one element of the Gavardo family's wall washbasin. Wall washbasins, as a type of fixed stone furniture, were a common part of interior furnishings during the 15th and 16th centuries. In sacral architecture, they were located in sacristies and used in purification rituals, while in residential and monastic spaces they had a practical and hygienic purpose, i.e., for washing hands, face, dishes, and the like. Their placement in the space was carefully planned, as they were built into the wall with pre-made water inlets and outlets. Through their shaping and position in the space, they spoke much about the social status of the owners. More lavish examples were found in the main rooms of houses of wealthier citizens and nobility, often decorated with coats of arms, figural motifs, and decorative elements of Gothic and Renaissance styles.
The exhibited fragment of the water reservoir, decorated with a relief motif of a lion's head and the coat of arms of the Gavardo family, is the remnant of such a washbasin from the second half of the 15th century. The Gavardo family is a mining noble family of northern Italian origin, and traces of their activity in Istria date back to the 13th century. In the 15th century, they also became part of Pula's nobility. Although the exact location of their house in Pula is unknown, this stone fragment is material evidence of their presence in the city.
The design of the exhibition setup and the graphic design of the catalog and invitation are signed by Vjeran Juhas.
