On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the construction of the famous Grando salt warehouse, you are invited to the opening of an exhibition that sheds light on the rich heritage of Piran’s salt-making tradition and the role of salt warehouses in the economic development of the town and the wider northern Adriatic region.
The exhibition takes visitors through the history of salt production, from its medieval beginnings and the Venetian monopoly on the salt trade to the development of the Piran salt pans, the transport and storage of salt, and the cultural landscape shaped by salt over the centuries. Special attention is given to the creation of the Grando warehouse, one of the largest salt warehouses on the eastern Adriatic coast, whose construction began in 1824 in the Fizina area near Portorož.
Through archival plans, historical documents, cartographic materials, and photographs, the exhibition presents the planning, construction, and later development of the warehouse, as well as its importance for salt storage and trade during the Austrian period. It also highlights the importance of preserving the cultural landscape of the salt pans, which remains one of the most valuable elements of local identity.
The exhibition is a tribute to generations of salt workers, shipowners, warehouse workers, and all those who helped create the story of the “white gold” and shaped the development of Piran, Portorož, and the wider Istrian region.
