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The church was built not far from the harbour, on a slightly elevated spot, perhaps to comfort those who are leaving and welcome those who have come back. The original structure, dated to the 11th century, was rebuilt in 1826. On that occasion the architectonic organization was radically modified, in so far as the two aisles were demolished, while only the nave went through the process of rebuilding.
Parish Church in Savudrija (Savudrija, Istria)
Parish Church in Savudrija, Travel Guide for holidays in Savudrija, Istria
Parish Church in Savudrija, Savudrija – Points of interests
We can suppose that the original aspect of the shrine has been preserved in the upper left corner of Tintoretto’s fresco. The fact that there used to be two aisles, making the church more capacious, certainly testifies to the importance attached to it in the past. Once there was an inscription on the facade, in memory of the indulgence conceded by Pope Alexander III on the occasion of the famous naval battle. The slab was removed in the late 18th century. The general indulgence was renewed through the papal bull issued by Pope Pius II in 1459. To the right of the entrance. under the window, an inscription was placed in 1877 on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the battle. Besides regular priesthood, to pursue pastoral activities in the area were also Franciscan Third Order Regulars from Dalmatia (after 1469), and later Augustinians. The parish was established at an unknown time. There used to be a cemetery attached to the church. The rose window on the front side was made in 1946, along with the indoor pulpit and the triumphal arch of the presbitery. It was in the same year that Francesco Miloš from Triban adorned the church with frescos. The nave contains an image of Jesus handing the keys to St Peter, against a background showing the church and the parish priest’s office at Savudrija. Watching from the triumphal arch above are St Francis of Assisi and St Joseph, while the ceiling of the presbitery was adorned with Jesus, St John and St Peter at the Last Supper. The parapet of the organ shows St Cecilia. In 1984 there was another restoration. Of the three altars in the church, in the main one the Virgin Mary is flanked by St John and St Peter, while the lateral altars contain statues of the Immaculate Madonna and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus respectively (the latter from 1935). Besides, the parish church enshrines five paintings belonging to the school of Venice. They show St Lucy, St Agatha, pieta, St John’s martyrdom, and Jesus on the Cross surrounded with saints. Attached to the building is the 20-metre high steeple from 1869. It used to have three bells, but in 1943 two were requisitioned and never returned. One of them was about 20 years old, while the other was cast by the Eredi De Polis from Venice in 1754. The bell that was left on the steeple, made in 1935, was recast in 1983. On the nearby parish priest’s office and its belonging well one can see two coats of arms from 1476, indicating Hieronimus Donato, podesta of Piran.