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Hrastovlje
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Hrastovlje – A Mediterranean Village with a Unique Cultural Heritage Hrastovlje is a Mediterranean village in Slovenian Istria, renowned for its exceptional cultural heritage—namely, the small Romanesque Church of the Holy Trinity, perched on a rocky hill above the settlement. The church was most likely built in the 12th century, although some researchers believe it to be an example of the Istrian variant of Early Venetian Renaissance architecture from the 15th century. Its architecture is simple and single-nave, with a bell tower located on the western side, which distinguishes it from most pilgrimage churches that typically feature eastern bell towers or wooden spires. The church is surrounded by defensive walls and two towers, constructed in the 16th century as protection against Ottoman incursions. Such fortified churches are characteristic of the Slovenian countryside and are known as “tabori.” Due to its construction on bare rock, the church lacks deep foundations, a trait typical of Istrian architecture. The stone roof is covered with slabs, which are common in older Mediterranean buildings. The church interior is extraordinary—its walls are entirely covered with frescoes painted in 1490 by Johannes de Castua. These frescoes depict scenes from both the Old and New Testaments, with the most famous being the depiction of the “Dance of Death” (Danse Macabre), a unique motif in the Slovenian cultural landscape. Some frescoes also contain inscriptions in the Glagolitic script. In 1949, they were discovered beneath thick layers of plaster by the academic sculptor Jože Pohlen. The church has only two small windows, a result of the local climate—providing shade from the sun in summer and protection from the bora wind in winter. As a consequence, the interior is quite dark. In 1896, a new window was added to the northern wall, unfortunately damaging some of the frescoes. The later addition of the outer wall further reduced the natural light inside the church. Measuring 11.7 meters in length and 6 meters in width, the church is among the smallest in the region. The current northwest entrance dates to around 1776, while the original entrance was likely located next to the bell tower. A Similar Church: St. Helena’s Church in Gradišče near Divača On the outskirts of the village of Gradišče near Divača, north of the Škocjan Caves, stands the Church of St. Helena—a small single-nave church with a bell turret and a stone roof, also recognized as an important monument of art history. The church is roofed with stone slabs and features a porch entrance, similar to the church in Hrastovlje. On its northern wall is a depiction of the procession and adoration of the Three Kings. The frescoes in St. Helena’s Church date from the late medieval period and are comparable in quality and iconography to those in Hrastovlje. According to oral tradition, the church may have been built on the site of a former castle chapel. In recent years, it has undergone extensive conservation work, including an international summer restoration school held between 2021 and 2023. Dance of Death in Tallinn (Estonia) A famous depiction of the Dance of Death (Danse Macabre) can also be found in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, in St. Nicholas’ Church (Niguliste kirik). It is a fragment of a monumental late 15th-century painting attributed to the workshop of the German master Bernt Notke. The fresco presents a hierarchically ordered procession of figures—from the pope, emperor, and queen to common folk—led by Death, who carries a musical instrument and a coffin. This artwork is the only preserved medieval Dance of Death painting on canvas and is considered the most important example of its kind in Estonia. It is housed in the Chapel of St. Anthony within the Niguliste Museum, which is part of the Art Museum of Estonia. Comparative Analysis of the Frescoes: Gradišče and Hrastovlje
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