Petar Stanković/Pietro Stancovich was born on 24th February 1771 in the town Barban. He was the canon, polymath, priest, writer, polemicist, curious researcher, true bibliophile and a supporter of the physiocratic ideas. He was born in a wealthy family which provided him the schooling in the best institutions in the country and abroad. He was also spending his time with prominent scientists. Stanković was doing a variety of jobs in order to increase his wealt; he was collecting books, minerals, wrote the expert works, including the invention of agronomic devices and literature. He assisted the children financially, was investing in the education system and in fact he dedicated his entire lifework and activity to human's education. He served the mission of a catechist , and he created a special schooling plan for each group. He pleaded for the opening of the first primary school. Stanković also wanted to help the farmers in order to reach more efficient production offering them his inventions, and thereby he wanted to elevate the poor region of Istria. Stanković was the most prolific Istrian writer in the first half of the 19th century and has published 23 books at his expense, while most of the other books hadn't been published and remained in the form of a manuscript. He left his rich collection testamentary to the city of Rovinj and today it is kept at the Native Museum under the name Stancoviciana. Petar Stanković had vision difficulties, so the frequent writing and reading had worsened his condition, and consequently, the last years of his life he spent in the dark. He died at the age of 82, and was buried at the Town Barban Cemetery named the Holy Cross. In his honour, for seven years already, is being held the Petar Stanković Memorial called "Barban in the heart," which brings together a number of historians, professors, economists and other scientists. In front of the upper school and in the Church yard, you can find the sculpture of Petar Stanković.