Labin lies in eastern Istria and has a newer part of town alongside its historic centre. Old town houses are not only reminders of the past; today they also accommodate part of its cultural life.
Cultural spaces stand particularly close together along 
1 May Street.
The City Gallery stands here opposite Battiala-Lazzarini Palace, home to the National Museum. Its position between the museum, the 
Church of St. Stephen and the parish church gives this short section of the street a distinctly cultural role.
The gallery occupies the former Luciani Palace. According to the town's tourist board, the building was rebuilt several times, while a portal bearing the family coat of arms survives from the older palace. A dedicated municipal gallery opened in late 1999, after temporary exhibitions had previously been held through the museum.
Its exhibitions focus mainly on contemporary art. The programme changes, so no particular exhibition is a permanent feature of the building. The gallery makes a worthwhile stop while exploring the old architecture: a historic house continues to support the town's living artistic activity.
The preserved portal with the Luciani family coat of arms recalls the palace's former residential use. Before the separate gallery was established, the space was also connected with the museum's exhibition activity. The present institution is therefore not apart from the building's history, but continues a long sequence of changes in its urban use.
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Photo: 900045-1
HR-CRO - Croatia
