Explore Žminj

If all the roads in Europe lead to Rome, then all the roads in Istria lead to Žminj, the centre of Istria and the old intersection. On the sole cross-roads below the town there is Calvary from 1720. Žminj was the town of Pazin-Pisino County which was taken over by the Venetians only for a year in 1617. A smaller part of citadel, one of the four round towers, one fort wing, the outer part of fortification protecting the houses of commons and one well preserved public tank dating back to 1863 can be seen today from the 15th century city fortifications. The centre of the city is dominated by a great Baroque three-arch parish church of St. Mihovil built in 1625 on the foundations of the previous 12th century parish church. There are also three small churches painted in frescoes in Žminj – the small church of Holy Trinity painted in 1471, the small church of St. Cross situated on the graveyard and the church of St. Anthony the Monk dating back to 1381. On the town entrance, there is a small church of St. Bartholomew around which a traditional feast Bartulja (the feast of St. Bartholomew) takes place on the last Saturday in August. This is the biggest folk feast which Istrians and their guests never miss.