The flisch structure of the soil of the North Adriatic and the configuration with perpendicular affluents allowed for the formation of shallows, that were turned into salt pans through the centuries. The Romans were supposedly the first producers of salt; while the salt pans of Secovlje were the biggest in the North Adriatic area.

Salt harvest at the Secovlje salt pans (2nd half of the 19th century)

In the 12th century the Benedictine monks from the monastery of St.Laurence used salt mud to cure obesity, dropsy, rheumatism, scrofulosis and wounds. They had a detailed list of illnesses and suitable treatments. Only then the first organized treatments with natural factors from the salt pans of Portoroz, which respected a definite methodology, actually started.

The first written records of treatments with salt mud of Portoroz namely date from the 13.Century, but it is, nevertheless, of considerable importance also what bishop Tomasini noted in 1650: "Close to Piran and Koper there are salt pans with curative mud and water. The pilgrims on their pilgrimage to the church of St.Laurence, cover the sick parts of their bodies with mud, then sun themselves in the warm sun and finally bathe in the saline water. Thus they cure rheumatism and skin diseases." (Kandler, 1879)

Under the Austrians villas started to be built in the port of roses, with premises specially designed for treatments with salt mud packs and for bathing in brine or salt water baths. In 1891 a therapeutic part - the old Thermae were built along with the already existing predecessor of the Palace Hotel (then the most modern hotel on the North Adriatic). Since 1985 the traditional ways of curing with natural factors have been applied in the modern premises of the Thermae Thalassotherapy in Portoroz and Spa Strunjan.

SALT-MAKING ON THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF ADRIATIC SEA

Salt trade played an invaluable role in the development of the towns on the Adriatic coast. When the inhabitants became proficient in making salt, they at first used it for their own personal needs, but later they began to sell it all over Europe and even in the Near East. The salt traveled legally, but often secretly as well, for only the state authorities were allowed to trade whit it. Istrian salt was in great demand, especially because of its high quality and whiteness. It contains no earth admixtures, which can be attributed to certain innovations in salt-making procedures in the 14th century.

The most important among the Istrian salt-pans were whitout doubt the Piran pans (Secovlje, Strunjan, Lucija). The first written record about their origin dates back to the second half of the 13th century. The parchment issued in 1278 reads: "The consult of Piran are issuing herewith a permit to the priest Baldo of Manfredonia to construct two salt pools in the marshy area of St. Lovrenc ..."

Along the Dragonja River at Secovlje, as well as along the Fazan Stream at Lucija and the Strunjanska recica stream at Strunjan, salt-pans were developed through centuries, which were exploited until the beginning of this century, in the very same way. Salt was harvested exclusively in closed production units, pools or the so-called "stabilis". Each production unit was separated into evaporation and crystallization basins connected by each other with the system of channels, dikes and drainage sluices. Each salt pool had its associated building, in which a salter and his family lived through the summer months.

From the 14th century on, the Piran and Koper salt pans was rated as an important merchandize. This was contributed by its high quality. The salt was pure and white and, therefore, without any earth admixtures.

The old mode of salt production way still in use at the Fazan salt-pans at Lucija and in the southern part of the Secovlje salt-pans called Fontanigge until the 1960's. At the Strunjan salt-pans and in the northern part of the Secovlje salt-pans, called Lera, a series of modernizations were introduced at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1904 the Austrian authorities nationalized over 500 salt pools with 7034 crystallization basins. The salt-pans area was gradually reconstructed.

The Secovlje salt-pans were the largest among the so-called salt-pans of Piran, they cover 650 hectares and are the second largest on the eastern coast of the Adriatic. We don't know where and when the first salt pool sprang up. In the Roman era the sea still reached to the straits between Kastel and Stena, which became evident in 1958, when remains of a Roman brick wall were found during the regulation of Dragonja river.