Vodnjan        

     Behind the main altar of lie the desiccated remains of six saints that were, in effect, mummified. The clothed bodies of St. Leon Bembo, St. Ivan John Olini, and St. Nicoloza Bursa, as well as assorted parts of three other saints, lie enclosed in glass. For unknown reasons, the bodies and body parts failed to decompose. The skin and nails darkened and dried, making the corpses look curiously wooden. In addition to the "mummies", the church reliquary contains 380 relics enclosed in glass, including the undecayed tongue of St. Mary of Egypt.

     Among the less grisly exhibits, notice the 14th-century polyptych painted by Paolo Veneziano that depicts scenes from the life and death of St. Bembo.

Getting to Vodnjan

     Vodnjan is seven miles or six kilometers north of Pula to which it is linked by hourly buses.

Accommodation in Vodnjan

     Most people come to Vodnjan on a day trip but it is possible to stay there at the Tourist Settlement Barbariga (052-528 111, barbariga-turist@pu.t-com.hr).

Tourist Information in Vodnjan

: The Vodnjan tourist office (052 511 700, tz-vodnjan-dignano@pu.t-com.hr) is in the centre of town at Narodni trg 3.

Related Pages

Other Destinations in Istria

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