The building that has certainly marked the beginning of the tourist epoch in the history of Opatija. By its construction in 1844, Opatija was a relatively large settlement of about 120 houses, chiefly oriented towards fishing and sailing. With the arrival of the Rijeka's patrician Iginio Scarpa, his summer house Angiolina (which was named after the then already deceased wife), Opatija opens the door to a variety of guests and passengers, including the Austrian empress Mary Ann, the botanist Heinrich Noë, the Croatian ban Josip Jelacic and others who enthusiasm for the local vegetation and climate and spread the fame of Opatija.