The Praetorian Palace is the finest building in Koper and one of the best examples of Venetian Gothic civic architecture in Slovenia. It dominates the north side of Titov Trg, its pale stone facade decorated with a long upper loggia of pointed arches and, below, relief carvings of Venetian lions, municipal crests, and busts of past governors. The effect is both authoritative and decorative — civic power displayed in the Venetian manner.
The palace served as the seat of the podestà, the Venetian-appointed governor of Koper, from the 14th century until the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797. Today it is the city hall — the tourist information centre occupies the ground floor — and contains a small museum displaying reconstructed historical pharmacy fixtures and civic objects. The interior is more modest than the exterior, but the Gothic hall on the upper floor is worth seeing.
The facade is best viewed in the morning light, when the angled sun picks out the carved detail of the upper loggia. Walk around to the side on Kidričeva street to see the building's full length.