By its construction in 1884. Opatija was a relatively large settlement of with about 120 houses clustered mainly away from the sea and oriented mainly towards fishing and sailing.
When Iginio Scarpa arrived and built his summer residence Angiolina (named by then already deceased wife Angiolina) Opatija opened the door to a number of guests (including the Austrian empress Maria Anna, botanist Heinrichu Noë, the Croatian ban Josip Jelacic and others). They all were excited with surrounding vegetation and climate and they spread the fame of Opatija and thus prepared the ground for future health resort.