Historical department
The historical materials was divided into several collections and kept in the Museum without being processed further while the NOB collection was incorporated into the new department. Along with inherited objects from the Museum's earlier phases, the fund is in constant developing with new donations and acquisitions. The diversity and richness of this collection could be seen in its numerous objects and its complexity while, in terms of, content, belonging and meaning, the collection is mainly dedicated to the history of Poreč and its surroundings from the Middle Ages until today.
Heraldic collection
Curator: Elena Uljančić-Vekić
In the Heraldic collection we have coats of arms of noble families from Poreč and families of Poreč podestas’ from the 14th until the 18th century. The primary and basic function of each coat of arms was to adequately and permanently identify individuals, families or social groups, institutions and establishments. The preserved heraldic fund is a relevant historical source, a significant part of the cultural heritage of Poreč and a proof of social and political identity of the town in the designated period.
The collection of documents, maps, manuscripts and printed matter
Curator: Elena Uljančić-Vekić
The collection consists of manuscripted books and documents, personal and other documents of various contents, maps and printed matter from the 17th until the 20th century. Amongst the printed materials we could specify some documents belonged to the Sincich family, the owners of the palace where the Museum is situated today. A valuable part of the collection is made of documents about the founding of the City Museum for Arts and History (Civico museo d'arte e storia) in the period between the two wars.
Collection of weapons and fire arms
Curator: Elena Uljančić-Vekić
The collection consists of weapons and military equipment from the 16th tothe 20th century. There are examples of weapons on a coupling (maces, halberds, spears) and other different cold weapons: yataghans, daggers, swords, sabers etc. Among fire weapons we have several rifles, pistols and revolvers. The collection counts numerous military equipment too (parapets, containers for gunpowder, helmets..). This collection shows the development of weapons in history and equipment from the 16th to the 20th century and traces its different usage and origin. The objects that belong to the Liberation movement have a particular value for the role that troops, batallions and brigades played in the liberation of Istria.
Collection of R.M. Cossar inheritance
The items in this collection are part of the family inheritance of R.M. Cossàr, former director of the Museum in the period between the two wars (City Museum of Art and History - Civico museo d'arte e storia) and arts professor in the Poreč school. His photographic collection is one of the most interesting part of the fund. Along with photographs and negatives on glass, the collection contains personal items of everyday use. Thank to his inheritance, we have photographs of the old Museum's installation, back from the time when he was in charge as well as photographs that accompanied his essays and other texts (especially those with ethnographic themes). We have photographs of the members of his family as well. As he was teaching art as well, he left several photographs of exteriors and interiors of famous churches and other important buildings.
Medal collection
Here we find items that honored a specific person, institution or organization as well as memorials made for a significant event. The medals are made of bronze, brass or other alloys and date back to the 19th and 20th centuries.
Flags collection
It is formed by flags that belonged to Poreč institutions from the Socialism period. Those are important to document their activity in the second half of the 20th century.
Old prints collection
The prints in this collection have been made from the 16th to the 20th century and the motifs shown are from Poreč or other places of its territory. The works have an important aristic and documentary value. We could find panoramas of Poreč, portraits of important people, events and cultural and historical sights.
Signet rings collection
The signet rings collection have several items from Poreč societies, institutions and individuals from the 18th century until recent time. Among the most important are signet rings from the Museum itself, the library and other institutions important for the development of the town that operated in the 20th century.
Old postcards collection
It is one of the most numerous collection in the Museum. It contains more than 1600 postcards made from the end of the 19th until the end of the 20th century while the oldest one is from the 1897. It is a very valuable collection of old postcards from Poreč but also many other towns and villages in the surroundings. The motifs on the cards could be separated in several thematic sections e.g. scenes from the everyday life, panoramas, streets and squares, monuments, buildings, architecture and postcards with motifs related to nature, art, various techniques etc. The preserved postcards give us an insight for researching the historical, social, economic and social circumstances as well as techniques as photography and print, postal services, ethnography, language and other features of a certain time and society. They witness the changes in a specific place, showing them in all their aspects (economic, political, artistic, cultural, architectural, etc).
Postal and philatelic collection
Along with postal stamps and other postal and philatelic valuables, of particular interest are pre-philatelic letters from the period until the mid- nineteenth century as well as letters and postal cards from a later philatelic period. This collection contains valuable items from the postal history of the 19th and 20th century. Thank to the items in this collection we are able to set postal directions, tariffs, marks, usage of postal stamps and other aspects of the postal service in Poreč and the surrounding villages. The majority of the written letters were addressed to or sent by members of important families of Pore (Vergottini, Sincich, Polesini) and clerical or state authorities. Letters have an added value, they help in the reconstruction of the everyday life in the past centuries, reveal communication methods, linguistic characteristics of a time and the zeitgeist itself, which is an important source for researches from different areas of study.
Photography collection
Different kinds of photographs belong to this collection. We have photographs from the end of the 19th century until present time. Thematically the collection could be divided in individual or family portrait photographs, group portraits of citizens and societies and other photographs with various thematic (documentary, landscape, panoramas…). Along with the photographs we have a collection of negatives as well. The techniques are both color and black and white. The authors are either unknown or local photographers from Poreč (G.Greatti, V.Sossich).
Collection of tourism on the Poreč territory
This is a newly formed collection that contains items related to the history of tourism in Poreč and its area (prints, flyers, clothes, equipment, furniture, souvenirs, etc.) from the end of the 19th century until today.