Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I was especially interested in the planning of the Naval Church in Pula. He was also present at the foundation stone laying ceremony in 1891, at Stoja, in the area of Pula-Pola known as San Policarpo.

The consecration ceremony of the Church of Our Lady of the Sea was held in 1898. The entire plan also included the surrounding area with stairs descending towards the sea. Today, it particularly stands out thanks to its exterior rows of white stone from Brijuni and red marble from Oprtalj-Portole and Brtonigla-Verteneglio. Its mosaics are reminiscent of those in the Basilica of Euphrasius in Poreč and St. Mark's in Venice. In front of the portal of Our Lady of the Sea especially interesting are columns tied in a Samson knot.