Rab (town)

Rab is a town on the island of Rab in Croatia. Rab, the settlement, is located on a small peninsula on the southwestern side of the island.

Rab
Town
Historic town center of Rab
Rab Location of Rab within Croatia
Coordinates: 44°45′22″N 14°45′40″E
Country	Croatia
County	Primorje-Gorski Kotar
Island	Rab
Government
• Mayor	Nikola Grgurić (HDZ)
• City Council	15 members • HDZ, HSS, RPS (8) • SDP, HNS, HSU, PGS (5) • Independents (2)
Area [1]
• Town	75.9 km2 (29.3 sq mi)
• Urban	0.4 km2 (0.15 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Town	7,161
• Density	94.3/km2 (244/sq mi)
• Urban	364
• Urban density	910/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	51 280
Area code	051
Website	rab.hr

History

The town has a long history that dates back to 360 BC when it was inhabited by the Illyrians. The island was the frontier between the regions of Liburnia and Dalmatia. From the third century BC to the sixth century AD Rab was part of the Roman Empire, and Emperor Augustus proclaimed it a municipium in 10 BC. It was the first town of Roman Dalmatia to be given the honorary title "felix".

Saint Marinus, the Christian founder of San Marino, was a native of Rab who is said to have fled the island under Diocletian's persecution in AD 301.

Among the signatories of the Second Council of Nicea was a bishop of Rab, namely Ursus. (“Ursus episcopus Avaritianensium ecclesiae” Ursus of Rab)^[3][4]

The worst disaster in the town's history was an outbreak of the plague in 1456 that decimated the city's population.

In 2019, much of the old town was evacuated for 9 days because of a gas leak. At 17:07 on 24 June, the VOC Rab received a call from a resident of the third floor of an apartment on Put Kaldanca street about the smell of gas. Already at 17:15, the presence of an explosive gas at a concentration of 9% was confirmed, and part of the old town of Rab was evacuated. All night, firefighters searched for the source of the gas leak. The next morning, the DVD Rab under commander Milivoj Ličina confirmed the presence of gas throughout the wider area, and relayed the working assumption that the gas was leaked during the filling of the gas storage for Hotel Arbiana on the evening of the 22nd. Ventillation efforts began on the 25th and lasted day and night throughout the period.^[5]

Climate

Since records began in 1978, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station at an elevation of 24 metres (79 ft) was 39.3 °C (102.7 °F), on 22 July 2015.^[6] The coldest temperature was −6.4 °C (20.5 °F), on 7 January 1985.^[7]

Demographics

In the 2021 census, the total population was 8,065, in the following settlements:^[2][8]

• Banjol, population 1708
• Barbat na Rabu, population 1140
• Kampor, population 1030
• Mundanije, population 402
• Palit, population 1580
• Rab, population 364
• Supetarska Draga, population 937

Town of Rab: Population trends 1857–2021

v

population	3589	3952	4279	4525	4465	5099	5099	6352	7230	7757	7849	8041	8496	9205	9480	8065	7161
	1857	1869	1880	1890	1900	1910	1921	1931	1948	1953	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	2011	2021

Sources:Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

Attractions

There are many churches in the town. The largest is St. Mary the Blessed, which was built in the 13th century. The church of St. Justine is now a museum of sacred arts, while the chapel of St. Christopher (dedicated to the patron saint of the island) is nowadays called the Lapidarium. The four church bell towers became the symbol of the town and island. The oldest dates back to the eleventh century.

Sports

The local HPS chapter was called HPD "Kamenjak",^[9]: 214 but it was liquidated on 3 March 1937.^[10]: 227

Gallery

• 
  View of Rab from air
• 
  Statue of San Marino
• 
  Streets of Rab
• 
  Old Town
• 
  Ivan Dominis Promenade
• 
  Arbiana Hotel

International relations

Rab is twinned with:

• City of San Marino, San Marino(1968) ^[11]