On the back of the public well there is an old building with a big stone sculpture of the Lion of St. Mark. The Lion of St. Mark has a closed book for the fact that Vizinada was on the border of the Venetian dominions in Istria. This building was the old “fontico”, the granary storage house. On the ground floor, near the “fontico” house, nearby the wall that looks towards the well, there is a stone column with inscribed price list that regulated various goods transactions and dates back into 1726.

Opposite to this house, on the other side of the street, there was Grimani family palace. Grimani family palace was later on also the Municipal palace. In end, Carlotta Grisi was born in this palace that have been destroyed over time.

Carlotta Grisi lived in the 19th century and her greatest role was in Giselle. The world premiere of this two act ballet was played in 1841 at the Theatre de l’Academie Royal de Musique in Paris.

On the right side of the well stairs there is a green field. Once upon a time there was the family Facchinetti’s house. Michele Facchinetti was a known writer and poet belonging to this family.

Not far away from the well there is the main square of Vizinada with the Parish Church of St. Jeronim from 1837. On the same place there was an older church from 1530 that was built by Gerolamo Grimani. It is assumed that the church was dedicated to St. Jeronim to honorate Grimani’s name.

St. Jeronim was the Bible translator and is likely that he was native from northern part of Istria, from Zrenj. The church has a neoclassical façade and a particular bell tower that dates back into 17th century.

In front of the 25 meters high bell tower there is the stone wall with lapidarium displaced on it. The lapidarium dates back into the Roman period.

On the same square you will note the Venetian loggia from the 17th century and between the Parish Church and loggia there is an old school building that dates back into 1736.

If you take the street on the right, that pass near the loggia, you will arrive in front of the Church of St. Barnabas from the 13th century. This church houses some frescoes paintings with glagolitic inscriptions on the walls.

Vizinada cemetery that lies at Bozje polje is also worth to be visited because it hosts the old Church of St. Mary with frescoes painted by “Coloured master” in the 15th century. It is an old church that is mentioned for the first time in the 11th century and on its façade hosts an unusual stone head from the end of the 5th century. This stone head according to tradition, depicts Atila, Huns army leader.

The church of St. Mary is also interesting for the fact that in 1119 a Templar Knights established the Monastery near to this church that lasted until 1312 when this order was suspended by the Pope. The successors of the Monastery were Knights of Malta and later on, in 1526, the order of St. Francisco. 

VIZINADA – HISTORICAL OVERVIEW