Beram

The chapel of St Mary on the Rocks stands in the cemetery outside Beram and looks like nothing from outside. Inside, Vincent of Kastav and his workshop covered the walls in 1474 with a cycle of the life of Christ and the Virgin, and above the entrance a Dance of Death: a line of figures led by skeletons playing instruments, in which pope, cardinal, king, queen, innkeeper, child and beggar all go the same way, with the merchant trying to bribe his skeleton. It is among the best preserved medieval fresco cycles in Croatia and one of the most complete Dance of Death images in this part of Europe.

History

Beram's hill has been settled since the Bronze Age, more than 4,000 years ago, when a fortified village was built on top; the southern slope served as a large cemetery, where 172 cremation urns were found along with other finds, among them a bronze cista decorated with geometric figures and birds that came to light in 1882. Nothing has been found from Roman times, but in the early Middle Ages the settlement was enclosed by a double wall with a rectangular tower, guarding the route along the Fojba valley between central Istria and the sea. Beram is first named in 911, in a gift by King Berengar to the Bishop of Trieste, and its church passed between the dioceses of Poreč and Trieste over the following centuries. In 1374, on the death of Albert IV, Count of Pazin, Beram and the whole county passed to Austria (Wikipedia, Beram).

What you'll find

• A fresco cycle of 1474 - by Vincent of Kastav and his workshop.
• A Dance of Death - pope and beggar led away by the same skeletons.
• The merchant offering a bribe - the detail everyone remembers.
• A plain exterior - nothing outside suggests the interior.

When to go

April to October, when the keyholder is more reliably available. Two hours.

Before you go

The chapel is locked and getting in means contacting the keyholder in the village in advance - turning up unannounced often fails. There is no lighting beyond what is switched on. Photography may be restricted.

Nearby

Pazin and its castle are south-east; Motovun is north-west.