Piran

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Občina Piran
Comune di Pirano
Grb občine Piran
Umestitev občine Piran v Sloveniji
Area: 44.6 km²
Population 16.758
 - males 8.109
 - females 8.649
Mayor: Tomaž Gantar
Average age: 39,28 years
Residential areas: 37,17 m²/person
 - households: 6.390
 - families: 4.815
Working active: {{{workers}}}
 - unemployed: {{{unemployed}}}
Average monthly salary ({{{salary_date}}}):
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 - net: {{{avg_salary_neto}}}
College/university students: 694
Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, census of 2002.

Piran (Italian Pirano) is a town and municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Adriatic coast along the Gulf of Piran. The municipality has 16,758 (2002) inhabitants and covers a 46.6 km² area. The town has 4,576 (2002) inhabitants on an 1 km² area. The municipality is bilingual, both Slovenian and Italian are official languages. It borders on the south with Croatia, on the north (on the sea) with Italy and on the east with the municipalities of Izola and Koper. The highest peak is 289 m high (Baretovec pri Padni). The municipality's festival is on October 15, which celebrates the foundation of the first naval detachment Koper in the year 1944. The municipality has an international airport and a marina.

Piran is an old Mediterranean town situated at the tip of the Piran peninsula along the Gulf of Piran. The town resembles a large open-air museum, with medieval architecture and a rich cultural heritage. Narrow streets and compact houses give the town its special charm. Piran is the administrative centre of the local area and one of Slovenia's major tourist attractions.

Piran is the birthplace of composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (born April 8, 1692), who played an important role in shaping its cultural heritage. The town's main square, Tartini Square (Slovenian: Tartinijev trg, Italian: Piazza Tartini), is named after him.

To mark the 200th anniversary of Tartini's birth, the people of Piran decided to erect a monument in his honour. Venetian artist Antonio dal Zotto was commissioned to create the larger-than-life bronze statue of the "maestro", which was eventually mounted on its pedestal in 1896. The statue dominates the square, overlooked by the Cathedral of St. George.

[edit] Twin towns

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Coordinates: 45°32′N, 13°34′E