The old town of Rab has existed for more than 2000 years. It was the first town in Roman Dalmatia to be given the honor of the coveted epithet FELIX (which means "happy").
The city has a long history dating back to 360 BC, when it was inhabited by the Illyrians. The island formed the border between the regions of Liburnia and Dalmatia. From the third century B.C. to the sixth century A.D. Rab was part of the Roman Empire and in 10 B.C. it was appointed a municipium by Emperor Augustus.
The worst disaster in the history of the town was the outbreak of the plague in 1456, which decimated the population.
There are numerous churches in the town. The largest is St. Mary the Blessed, built in the 13th century. The church of St. Justine is now a museum of sacred art, while the chapel of St. Christopher (dedicated to the patron saint of the island) is now called the Lapidarium. The four bell towers of the church became the emblem of the city and the island. The oldest dates back to the eleventh century.
St. Marinus, the Christian founder of San Marino, was from Rab and is said to have fled the island under Diocletian's persecution in 301 AD.