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The Scampicchio Palace
The Gothic-Renaissance Scampicchio Palace was owned by the namesake family who erected it in the 15th c. Having obtained the Pope's consent, the family joined the palace with the church and got their own private entrance.
The old Labin core is well known for its medieval palaces, which erection started with the rise of the Venetian Republic. One of the most famous palaces is the 15th century Gothic-Renaissance Scampicchio Palace, which was owned by a respectable namesake noble family. The palace was erected next to the parish church. There is still the family crest on its facade with a bird's wing and a leg in its central field. Having donated a part of its land to the church in 1582 for the extension of the parish church, Pope Urban VIII allowed the Scampicchio family to join the palace with the church and to build their own passage, still visible today. It is also one of the most photographed motifs of the town of Labin. The Scampicchio family originally came from Rijeka. Soon after their arrival to Labin, they were entrusted with keeping the town archives stored in their palace in the Old Town. Antonio Scampicchio was a mayor of Labin and a representative in the Istrian Parliament. As he was interested in geology and archaeology, he founded the first Museum collection in Istria by compiling the collection of geological rarities of the Istrian region. The family gave a number of intellectuals and mayors of Labin through history until the 1920s, when they moved to Italy. The family archives were joined with the State one in Rijeka.
