 The
name of Ičići (during the Austrian period known with the elegant name
of Ville d' Ičići) surely has been derived from the name of the inhabitants
of the neighbouring place of Ika. The Mali Raj (Piccolo Paradiso)
restaurant, which has been recently reconstructed and redecorated
with the construction of another flat, has been constructed on the
same place where during the Austrian period a water pump station has
been constructed for supplying with fresh water from Klara stream
some parts of Opatija.
At the side of the turn of the road over the restaurant, the German
occupiers prior their retreat in April 1945 from this territory threw
into the cavity the corpses of local patriots, in whose memory a tablet
with their names has been put up.
Motel Ičići has to-day only the sea-side part, while the other part
over Venezia pizzeria, after having accommodated displaced persons
from Eastern Slavonia during the 1991-1995 war, has been reconstructed
and transformed into a residence. Near the place where this building
has been erected, in XVII century there was a plot with a three-flat
baroque-style building, erected by the Society of Jesus, the fragments
of which are in the time being visible in some neighbouring gardens.
One of the most attractive villas of Liburnian sea-side is surely
Secession-style Münz villa, constructed in 1903 by Jakob Ludwig Münz,
a stone-worker and owner of stone-pits in Southern Tirol (Austria)
and constructor of the well-famous Grand Hotel of Pula. He was a promoter
of the opening of the bus line Rijeka-Pula. Ludwig Münz arrived at
Opatija in the capacity as partner of Alfred Wrede, the concessionaire
and founder of the tram service, which from 1908 to 1933 has linked
Matulji and Lovran. The Villa, whose cellars were full of malvasia
wine, has been nationalised in 1948 and took over by Syndicates and
after that by a Macedonian Children Organisation; recently the villa
was the accommodation of displaced persons from Podunavlje, and finally
in 1999, it has been acquired by the Hoppers, a Croatian-American
couple.
During the period of the Münz's, Ičići was already a respectable and
attractive residential zone and in this regard the names of noble
families and well-known societies are linked to the plots of Ičići
of that time.
The Istrian real estate company owned Villa Triestina and competed
with Münz society for buying some plots between Ičići and Ika, under
the road; the plot and villa were possessed by Ljudmila Leszczynska,
and further by her daughter Ljudimila married to Dornbach from Lvov,
and further by Münz family, while at the end by Emilija Schudy married
to Motika.
At Ičići the famous architect Karl Seidl showed his capacity, designing
a villa for Tomašić family of Opatija; other villas as Colore and
Milly had a significant success from the architectural and financial
point of view. At this regard it is worth underlying the sanatorium
for lung illnesses, the peak of which has been reached during the
management of sr. Slobodan Marin; unfortunately, recently this hospital
has been closed and demolished. Near the villa of Ludwig Münz in
1990 a marina has been built, which carries on the maritime tradition
of Ičići, that was in the Medieval Age a significant port for wood,
coal, slack lime, oil, wine; in 1873 it has to be enlarged and in
1881 it was reconstructed.
The Gas Works has to represent at the beginning of XX century the
so-called industrial boom of Ičići. In fact, "Manoschek"
(Gaswerksbau- und Maschinen-Fabriks Actiengesellschaft Franz Manoschek
in Wien), a the company of Vienna requested in 1912 the licence for
laying gas pipes. But, the Širola, Gašparić, Peršić, Blažić, Bačić,
Andrejčić and Barbić families, as well as Munz and the famous landowner
Marijan Zambelli were contrary to the construction of the gas works,
submitting a petition with 160 signatures of the local inhabitants.
A great adversary to the gas works at Ičići was Julius Glax, who submitted
a report on hygiene of sanatoriums. The project of construction of
gas works did not succeeded as the Municipality of Opatija-Volosko
did not want to prolong the term for laying the pipes from 31st December
1918 to 31st December 1919. In the same time, the well-known lawyer
Đuro Červar brought a suite against the Municipality for the monopolistic
contract of 1915 with Manoschek, underlying that the contract was
harmful for the interests of the Municipality in the same time as
the monopolistic contract for electrification of the town signed in
1896 with Scanavi company was for the Opatija.
Today Ičići is a well-known tourist resort, the standard of which
is guaranteed by the blue flag for the quality of sea, what ensures,
together with the natural attractiveness, a long-term perspective
of development.
Extracted from article by Amir Muzur
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