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Piran’s May Day Square Joins the Ranks of Europe’s Film Heritage Treasures

Published: 7.5.2025

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Piran’s May Day Square Joins the Ranks of Europe’s Film Heritage Treasures

The European Film Academy has officially recognized Piran’s May Day Square (Prvomajski trg) as one of the new Treasures of European Film Culture. This prestigious recognition is awarded to sites of unique significance in the history of European cinema.

Piran boasts a deep-rooted connection to film, with nearly every street having served as a backdrop for a motion picture. At the heart of this film-friendly town lies May Day Square (Prvomajski trg) – its oldest and most emblematic square, formerly known simply as the “Old Square”. It is here that Czech director František Čap, who made Piran his home, filmed the beloved 1962 comedy Our Car (Naš avto). Later, the square gained iconic status as a central location in the cult 1980s Slovenian film Summer in a Shell (Poletje v školjki), directed by Tugo Štiglic.More than 50 films have been shot in Piran and along the Slovenian coast. Following World War II, the region's cinematic activity flourished, particularly after the

establishment of film studios in the former soap factory in Fornače. During this golden era, Piran played host to global film legends such as Orson Welles, Marcello Mastroianni and James Mason.

In addition to May Day Square, ten other European locations were selected this year, including the railway station in Liège, a street in Sofia,and a historic riding school in Salzburg. With this announcement, Slovenia joins the prestigious list of 60 distinguished European film locations for the very first time.

The Treasures of European Film Culture initiative is part of the European Film Academy’s broader mission to preserve and promote the continent’s cinematic legacy. Established in 2022, the Academy’s heritage division also supports a network of national film academies, film libraries, and archives, and organizes programmes such as the In Memoriam segment at the European Film Awards, which honours the lives and contributions of European cinema’s stars.

Source/photo: Municipality of Piran

 

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