Raspor – Raspo: “Raspor’s Captains fortress”
In 1394, Venetian Republic received Raspor as a guarantee for the loan of 10000 ducats that Venice gave to Giovanni Mainardo for the dowry of his daughter Anna from Gorizia in relation to the marriage to Ivan Frankopan. During the same year, the Venetian Republic abolished the existing territorial units of Groznjan and Sv. Lovrec Pazenaticki and decided to hold Raspor as the headquarter of Raspor Captaincy.
In end Raspor was an army command qualified to guarantee peace and security along the borders. With the help of the Raspor’s Captain, the Venetian Senate governed the Captaincy.
The Raspor’s Captain was the highest military and political authority within the village territory and it had to be consulted for all administrative and juridical questions.
In 1511, for safety reasons, Raspor’s Captain was moved to Buzet. The Captain continued to be the commander of Istrian village territory but since then he also held the position of the mayor of Buzet. The Raspor region remained under the Venetians until 1797, when the Republic of Venice was abolished.
Another interesting natural phenomenon that is located in Raspor that is worth mentioning is Raspor’s Cave or Abyss, also named “Abisso Bertarelli”. It is located about 300 meters to the south-east of the village, close to the cemetery, on the curve to the left towards Racja Vas.
In 1925, Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli, from Milan, explored this Cave and discovered that it is around 480 meters deep, which makes it the deepest abyss in Istria and one of the deepest in the World. To visit this site you will need the assistance of a professional speleologist.