Visualising language(s) in a contemporary Croatian city: A linguistic landscape of Rijeka

This study examines Rijeka’s linguistic landscape with a focus on signs or texts visible in public spaces. We distinguish five different categories: public/state/municipal regulatory signs/texts; public/state/municipal infrastructure signs/texts; commercial/business texts; texts/signs of ‘community’ or ‘not-for-profit’ associations and transgressive signs/texts. In addition, we examine any of the above categories of signs/texts for features that index Rijeka’s local identity. Analysis reveals the following trends: official signs on public buildings are in standard Croatian and uniform in font, colour, and structure. Italian appears only where permitted by local regulation, mainly at educational institutions, and always with equal visual status to Croatian. Road signs follow similar national conventions, while street signs, typically in Croatian and sometimes Italian, sometimes include biographical details of individuals they commemorate, giving them both informational and educational functions. Some include visual effects, while a small number even feature gender-inclusive language and imagery. Commercial signage generally follows language regulations but displays greater creativity, including Anglicisms, hybrid Croatian-English forms, and regional expressions. Community and non-profit signs exhibit the widest visual diversity, occasionally using Glagolitic script for aesthetic effect, transgressive texts, typically in the form of graffiti predominantly use Croatian. Across these domains, Croatian, regional dialects and to a much lesser extent, Italian, index Rijeka’s local identity. Examination of signs and texts goes beyond description and an interpretation and contextualisation of all features to provide findings relevant to the use of language in Croatian public life specifically, and to linguistic landscape research in general.