The Galzigna Family Tower

THE BIGGEST TOWER IN THE TOWN WHICH WAS LOST

Around the Square of Freedom (Cro. Trg Slobode), the former Katurbu Square, there was the biggest eight-sided municipal tower, the Tower of St. Stephen (Sv. Stjepan). It was named after the Church of St. Stephen (Sv. Stjepan) dating back to the beginning of the 13th c, located inside the tower. The old tower (turris) of the Galzigna family was a fortified Romanesque-style residential building located next to the upper city gate. Such a tower and the building next to it were typical homes of the nobles of Rab in the Middle Ages. The Galzigna family tower was demolished in 1813. Two significant events in Rab are associated with the tower.

THE RELICS OF THE PATRON SAINT ST. CHRISTOPHER (SV. KRISTOFOR) HAVE DEFENDED THE TOWN FROM THE INVASION OF THE NORMANS

In the 11th century the miraculous defence of the town took place owing to the intercession of St. Christopher. Namely, during the invasion of the Normans, the inhabitants of Rab brought the relics of St. Christopher out and placed them, that is, his scull, on the tower. Through the intercession of St. Christopher, the arrows shot from enemy ships bounced off the walls and returned to the enemy fleet, liberating the Town of Rab from its enemies in such a miraculous way.

OWING TO THE DONATION OF THE FIRST ROMAN EMPEROR, RAB BECAME THE LITTLE ROME

In addition to this, the tower is very significant as in the 18th century Daniele Farlati saw the ancient stone with the inscription about the donation of the walls to the town in the year 10 BC. It is a donation of the first Roman Empire Octavian Augustus who raised the former Roman settlement to the level of Roman municipium, which means that Rab obtained its independence and preserved the most important features of an ancient town. In other words, Rab was modeled on the Rome and became a sort of "the little Rome".