The Depiera Family 

4.1.3 Photo from the meeting of immigrants from Carnia on the Adriatic coast, end of the 19th century 

The Depieras, it seems, moved to Tinjan from the Italian region of Carnia (the parish of Calgaretto, the municipality of Comeglians) as early as the 17th century. The family enjoyed the status of nobility, which had been awarded to them for their various services by Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1482. The members of this Italian family were craftsmen, more precisely – highly skilled tailors, which allowed them to easily adapt to new surroundings. As a result of their diligence and craftsmanship, the Depiera family lived a life of prosperity, preserving the language and customs of their native region of Carnia.

As for their life before they had migrated from Carnia, the records are scarce. 

The Depieras, weavers at the time, migrated to Tinjan in 1670. Giacomo and Candida are the first ancestors of this branch of the family whose names were recorded, even though no record exists of their birth or death. The history of the family line in Tinjan begins with the wedding of Sebastijan Depiera and Clementine Casamara in 1670.

The Depiera family counts numerous distinguished and successful members, and we shall use this opportunity to present the most prominent of them all – Vittorio Depiera. Vittorio was born on April 15, 1871, as the fifth child to the Depiera family. After finishing primary school in Tinjan and later attending a secondary school in Koper, Vittorio continued his education at the University of Graz, where he studied law as of 1888. He graduated in 1893, after which he decided to travel the region. His travels were as much of an opportunity for him to learn about history, culture and society, as they were a favorite pastime of his and a source of fun. On his travels he developed a second hobby – amateur photography. Most of his travels occurred between 1893 and 1899. Another one of Vittorio's hobbies was hunting. He would frequently go hunting upon returning from his travels, until he got married in 1899.  Vittorio and his wife, Ana Bartoli, lived in Rovinj and had two children. It is in Rovinj that Vittorio continued his successful career as a lawyer by founding the Bartoli-Depiera law firm.

Vittorio Depiera left behind, among other things, a rich collection of photographs.

4.2.3 Panorama of Dvigrad (Kanfanar), 1893.

4.2.11 Panorama of the acropolis (on the left – the stadium; on the right – the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter), Athens, 1896. 

The Depieras, it seems, moved to Tinjan from the Italian region of Carnia (the parish of Calgaretto, the municipality of Comeglians) as early as the 17th century. The family enjoyed the status of nobility, which had been awarded to them for their various services by Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1482. The members of this Italian family were craftsmen, more precisely – highly skilled tailors, which allowed them to easily adapt to new surroundings. As a result of their diligence and craftsmanship, the Depiera family lived a life of prosperity, preserving the language and customs of their native region of Carnia.

As for their life before they had migrated from Carnia, the records are scarce. 

The Depieras, weavers at the time, migrated to Tinjan in 1670. Giacomo and Candida are the first ancestors of this branch of the family whose names were recorded, even though no record exists of their birth or death. The history of the family line in Tinjan begins with the wedding of Sebastijan Depiera and Clementine Casamara in 1670.

This respectable family from Tinjan has produced a number of prominent individuals who entered various professions: mayors, priests, doctors, lawyers, captains and officers. The family, having contributed so much to the community over the centuries, left an indelible mark on the past and the present of Tinjan.

Prepared by:   Maja Milovan and Biserka Budicin, State Archives in Pazin