Attracts the attention of passers-by! In Slovenian Istria, there is an interesting little church with walls!

In the very southwest of Slovenian Istria, not far from the border with Croatia, in a small village called Hrastovlje, which belongs to Koper, there is a small church with an interesting shape and history.

Hrastovlje is precisely one of those places that got its name from the large amount of trees, in this case, the oak that surrounds it.

In addition to the oak, this village also has a significant source of the river Rižana, which is responsible for the irrigation of the entire coast of Slovenia, and the church of Holy Trinity whose history takes us back to the 15th century.

Church of Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje, Photo: Jaka Ivančič, www.slovenia.info

Although Slovenia can boast of many older churches, this one still has the most interesting appearance because it also has its walls. However, these are not just any walls, but those that take the form of a fortress.

Church of Holy Trinity situated itself on a small hill above the settlement as early as 1475.

Church of Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje, Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 4.0

Although it is only 11.5 meters long and about 6 meters wide, its size does not prove its heritage. In its interior, it hides a real little treasure, frescoes that depict various biblical motifs such as the Holy Three Kings, the Stations of the Cross, and many others, and the one that stands out the most is the one that depicts the Danse Macabre. These motifs show various representatives of society, gender, and age dancing with the dead.

It is the work of the painter Janez from Kastav, who decided to decorate the appearance of this small church in earthy colors.

Church of Holy Trinity in Hrastovlje, Photo: Marco Almbauer, CC0

In addition to beautiful frescoes, the church of Holy Trinity is also characterized by thick walls about 8 meters high that were built around it a little later, probably at the beginning of the 16th century. Since there were frequent invasions by the Turks at that time, it is believed that the locals built them to defend themselves against them. The walls have defense towers and two rows of firing lines.

Today, this wonderful monument of cultural heritage, but also a display of history, attracts the attention of all those who pass this way. Be sure to visit it so that you too can experience the spirit of the past, which has been keeping the secrets of the Middle Ages for centuries.