Church of St. Euphemia, Rovinj, Croatia

The Church of St. Euphemia is a Baroque church located in the heart of the historic part of Rovinj, Croatia, dominating the town.

This three-nave church was built in 1736 over the remains of older, early Christian structures. The dedication was originally to Saint George, later to Saints George and Euphemia; the present building is dedicated to Euphemia only. Its façade dates from 1883.

The relics of Saint Euphemia are preserved in a Roman sarcophagus from the sixth century (but adapted in the 15th century). The church contains several treasures and works of art: Gothic statues from the 15th century, paintings from the 16th and the 17th centuries: Last Supper and Christ in the Gethsemane.

The bell tower resembles the tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice. It was built during 1654–1680, to the plans by Antonio Manopola. On top of this 60 m-high tower stands the statue of Saint Euphemia, serving as a wind vane.

References:

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Religious sites in Croatia

User Reviews

Angela Guardian (16 months ago)
Very beautiful place to visit. If you have time go up to the church tower and see the breathtaking view of Rovinj. Be cearful on the staircases in the tower they are realy scary.

Vlassis Youroukos (16 months ago)
On the top of the hill with nice views around. For 20kn (a bit less than 3€), you can have access to the wooden staircase that leads to the top of the 60m high bell tower. The staircase is old, steep and intimidating but the views from the top are astonishing.

Drew Vaterlaus (16 months ago)
Beautiful church inside and out. Amazing views from a top a hill and overlooking the sea. For €3 you can go up to the top of the bell tower and have phenomenal views of the entire city and surrounding islands.

Gaurav Kachru (16 months ago)
Beautifully set between the coastline and the gardens around it, it's lovely on the outside. Once inside, it's more ordinary. The murals are limited and the roof is almost bare. The statue of Mother Teresa is a novelty. Otherwise, a pretty church in a beautiful location but not near exceptional.

Luka Savic (18 months ago)
It's a religious church that lies to people for mind control and money taking that's why 1 stat. But overall its a nice looking church you can see from all parts of town because of course they made it on top of the hill. It has some beautiful sights from its terrace. Its worth climbing up to it and enjoying the sight of sea. They even found an older church that was built long time ago and dirt covered it. It has some tunnels under it. I found this fake bullets on the ground, they were filming some action scenes here with Selma Hayek and Samuel L Jackson.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

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Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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