Exhibition Spaces
About the Sacred Hearts Gallery
The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts commissioned a convent in 1899 and a basilica-plan (nave with side aisles) church in 1908 in the style of late Baroque classicism. Construction was launched by the architect Virgilio Volpi and completed by Domenico Malusà. A 26-meter-high bell tower was planned but never built.
The nuns left the church and monastery after the Second World War and the premises remained unused until 1958. The Archaeological Museum of Istria was initially given use of the abandoned building as a depository. The former convent building was allocated to the Technical School of Pula in 1962. Poor construction of the building and foundations set on an embankment saw the building suffer significant damage; the roof collapsed and the apse section began to separate and crack.
The Archaeological Museum of Istria launched an initiative for its renovation in the late 1980s with the goal of creating a museum and specialist centre. A new roof was installed in the early 1990s following the relocation of archaeological material to the Fort Bourguignon site. The revitalization project was launched in 2007 and the building opened to the public in July 2011.
This is a multimedia venue that hosts museum and gallery exhibitions, lectures, congresses, specialist symposia, plays, concerts, films, festivals, and similar events. It is adapted for people with disabilities (vertical platform, accessible toilet, entrance ramp). Galleries connected by a bridge were added at the side aisles. The apse has been partitioned and closed off with a large wall that can be used as a screen for projecting films and presentations.
