Uncovering Fulfinum: A Lost Roman City on the Island of Krk

Just a stone’s throw from the charming hilltop town of Omišalj on the island of Krk lies a hidden gem of ancient history: the archaeological park of Mirine-Fulfinum. Once a bustling Roman city, its story stretches from the height of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the early Middle Ages. Let’s dig into the fascinating history of this forgotten urban center.

The Birth of a Roman City

In the 1st century AD, during the reign of the Flavian emperors, a new city, Municipium Flavium Fulfinum, was established in the gentle Sepen Bay. It wasn’t built on a whim; this was a planned Roman urban project, constructed ex nihilo (from scratch) on carefully prepared land. The city was founded for Roman army veterans, likely including members of the local Fertinates tribe who had served in the military.

Unlike the ancient hillfort at Omišalj, Fulfinum was a classic Roman coastal city. It boasted:

• A well-organized urban grid (insulae).
• An expansive harbor with breakwaters and piers that took up nearly 3 hectares.
• A central public square, the forum, which served as the administrative and religious heart of the city.
• Notably, it was an “open city,” built during the peaceful Pax Romana, and had no defensive walls.

Fulfinum thrived as a maritime city, its location ideal for trade and access to the fertile fields of the island’s interior.

The Heart of the City: The Fulfinum Forum

Archaeological research has revealed the forum to be a relatively modest but well-structured space, approximately 21×40 meters. Its construction began in the second quarter of the 1st century AD, during the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

The forum complex included two main structures:

1. The Basilica-Curia: This elongated rectangular building functioned as a civic basilica and likely housed the city council (ordo). An interesting feature is that its columns were built from brick, a technique also seen in nearby Tarsatica (modern-day Rijeka).
2. The Main Temple: Built shortly after the basilica, this was the central religious structure of the forum. Given its potential for a three-part inner chamber (cella), it may have served as the city’s Capitolium, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

The forum evolved over time. In the 3rd century AD, it underwent significant modifications, with a new, smaller square created between the temple and the basilica, likely for honorary monuments. By Late Antiquity (roughly 5th to 7th centuries AD), the once-grand public space was privatized and repurposed with smaller wooden structures, signaling a major shift in the city’s life.

Life and Trade Through Pottery

The story of Fulfinum’s economy is beautifully told through the thousands of pottery fragments unearthed at the forum. These finds show a city fully integrated into the bustling trade networks of the Adriatic.

• Early Roman Period (1st-2nd centuries AD): The city was awash with goods from Italy. Fine red-gloss tableware (terra sigillata), thin-walled pottery, and oil lamps were common imports. Cooking pans from Campania, known as orlo bifido, were also popular. Alongside these imports, products from a local workshop in Crikvenica were widely used.
• Late Roman Period (3rd century AD onwards): A dramatic shift occurred. Italian imports dwindled and were replaced by goods from North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. African amphorae, used to transport oil and fish sauce, became dominant, along with African Red Slip Ware (ARS) for dining. This change mirrors broader economic trends throughout the Roman Empire.

The Christian Era and the Mirine Complex

As the Roman city of Fulfinum declined in Late Antiquity, a magnificent Early Christian complex rose on its western edge, at a site now called Mirine. The centerpiece is a large, impressive church built no later than the mid-5th century AD.

This church is one of the most significant of its kind on the Adriatic. Architecturally, it is a single-nave basilica with a cross-shaped ground plan (cruciform) and a flat eastern wall instead of a rounded apse. This grand structure suggests the presence of a substantial Christian community even as the old Roman city was fading. A Late Antique necropolis also developed around the complex, further testifying to its importance.

From Roman City to Medieval Memory

The final chapter of Fulfinum’s story is one of transformation. After the 7th century, the urban area seems to have been largely abandoned, with its population likely moving back to the safer, fortified hilltop of Omišalj.

However, the site was not completely deserted. The church at Mirine continued to be used for burials into the 8th and 9th centuries, and a later church was added to the complex. It’s possible that the site transitioned into a monastic community, preserving a sacred memory long after the Roman streets fell silent.

Today, Mirine-Fulfinum stands as a peaceful testament to centuries of history, a place where you can walk through the ruins of a Roman public square and a grand early church, all within sight of the sparkling Adriatic Sea.

Date of visit: 12.06.2025

Sources

• Novak, N., & Brožić, A. (1991). STAROKRŠĆANSKI KOMPLEKS NA MIRINAMA u UVALI SAPAN KRAJ OMIŠLJA NA OTOKU KRKU. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/138222
• Glavočić, D. (2019). Branko Fučić (1920. – 1999.) i Radmila Matejčić (1920. – 1990.): Ususret 100. obljetnici rođenja. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/411694
• Čaušević-Bully, M., & Valent, I. (2015, December 9). Municipium Flavium Fulfinum Dijakronijska studija gradske strukture s posebnim osvrtom na forumski prostor. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/219094
• Konestra, A. (2015, December 9). Keramika s Foruma Municipia Flavia Fulfinuma (otok Krk, Hrvatska) – istraživanja od 2007. do 2013. godine. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/219096
• Faber, A. (1986). Osvrt na neka utvrđenja otoka Krka od vremena prethistorije do antike i srednjeg vijeka. Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/1981