Bell Tower in Novigrad
In 1883, the Novigrad comune (municipality) commissioned the erection of a campanile next to the St. Pelagius' Church, a free-standing bell tower. On the tower's pyramidal spire, a statue of St. Pelagius, the city's patron saint was placed in 1913, crafted of wood coated with bronze plate.
As early as 1149 Novigrad swore loyalty to Venice. New defensive walls were built, possibly on the site of earlier ones, of which only a square tower near the hotel by the entrance to the historic core was preserved. Reconstructed in the 15th c., they now gained round towers. At the same time, the Dominican monastery with the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was built. Palaces with elaborate decor some of which can even nowadays be recognized by the Gothic windows and other details were also built at that time.
The best known Novigrad noble family Rigo, probably already at the time assumed important civil functions, however, they are better known for their later building activities. In 1770 they built a grand Communal Palace and before that, in 1750 a Late Baroque stancija outside the town, in Karpinjan. is impressive residential-economic complex of buildings with a disposition in the shape of the letter U, boasts a luxurious interior with stucco and painted decorations. e entire project, although undertaken by one single family, demonstrated the power of Novigrad in the 18th c.
However, prosperity did not last for long. With the fall of Venice, Novigrad shared the destiny of all other Istrian towns. One hundred years later, the commune raised money for the construction of the new town symbol - the belfry of the parish church following the design of St. Mark’s in Venice - for Venice was still an inspiration.
