Sveti Lovreč

Sveti Lovreč nestles in the immediate hinterland of Vrsar-Orsera and Poreč. It is one the best preserved medieval fortified towns in Istria, The town was named after the small church St. Lawrence built in the 8th century on the town graveyard located outside the town. The Romanesque bell tower next to the church was added in the 11th century.

The circular shape of the settlement originates from the prehistoric period when a hillfort was located on the hill top. During the Byzantine era Lovreč had already been fortified with walls and towers, which were later thoroughly restored on various occasions. Most of the remaining fortifications date back to the Venetian era when Sveti Lovreč was the seat of the military administration of the Venetian Istria – the so called pazenatik.