e
fifteenth century on the same lines, but a little larger. In the
eighteenth century the circuit of the walls was about a mile. There were
two principal gates--the Porta a Mare and the Porta a Terra--and two
posterns made for the convenience of the inhabitants. The city was
divided into four _Rioni_--Pusterla, Porta Nuova, Marafor, and Predol.
The existing square tower flanking the Porta a Terra was erected in 1447
under Nicolo Lion; he signs it with initials, and there is a coat of
arms beneath the panel of the lion of S. Mark. At the bottom of the
frame are the date and an inscription giving the name of the architect,
"Mag. Johannes de Pari Tergestinus," and of his son Lazarus, the
sculptor. His name occurs on the architrave of the rebuilt church of S.
John the Baptist of Volciana on the Carso, with the date 1429. The round
tower dates from after the incursion of the Turks into the Carso in
1470, built under Pietro da Mula, 1474. On the Porta della Campana the
length of the dagger which was allowed is marked, and the town still
preserves one of the "Bocche de' leoni" which were used for secret
denunciations. The communal palace was built in 1270, one year before
Parenzo gave herself to Venice. Games of cards and dice were allowed
under its portico and in the loggia, where the players were under the
eyes of the guards.

During the latter half of the thirteenth century Parenzo was in
constant contest with her bishop, resisting the financial demands of the
ecclesiastical authority with threats and violence. A podesta, at the
head of the people, broke into the cathedral, burst open the treasury,
and seized the precious objects. In 1270 Marco Michiel, in the name of
the commune, forbad the citizens to pay tithe, proclaimed liberty of
fishing and pasturage, and took possession of several of the church
properties, saying that they had returned to those to whom they properly
belonged. In 1278 Bishop Otho excommunicated them for refusing to pay
tithe, and because of a rising, in which the palace was invaded and all
the authentic privileges and documents thrown into the sea; but the
citizens were the stronger, and bishop and canons were driven away from
the city. In 1280 there was a delimitation of the land belonging to
church and commune. The next bishop, Boniface, renewed the episcopal
pretensions denying freehold to both commune and individual citizens.
The podesta, Jacopo Soranzo, the commune, and citizens were so enraged