Vodnjan
A town of olive oil and what is said to be the largest collection of desiccated saints' bodies in Europe.
Updated 19 October 2026
The parish church of St Blaise in Vodnjan carries the tallest bell tower in Istria at about 62 metres, and behind its altar is what the town is known for: the bodies of several saints, brought here from Venice at the start of the nineteenth century, which have not decomposed. The best preserved is that of Nicolosa Bursa, and they are displayed with a large collection of relics. The church treats them as devotional objects rather than curiosities, and photography is restricted. The rest of the town is Istrian stone streets and an olive oil culture strong enough that Vodnjan producers win international awards year after year.
History
Legend says Vodnjan grew from seven country estates belonging to Pula; in Roman times it was Vicus Attinianum, and in 932 it is recorded among the Istrian towns that gave Pietro Candiano amphorae of good wine for his protection. The church of St James, delle Trisiere, was its parish church by 1212, and saw the peace with Pula in 1331 and the writing of the town statute in 1492. The castle with towers that stood on today's People's Square, probably built in the 4th or 5th century, was pulled down in 1808. The church of St Blaise, the largest in Istria, replaced an early Romanesque church taken down in 1781 and was consecrated in 1800; it holds a carved tabernacle of 1451, paintings of the 14th to 18th centuries by Paolo Veneziano, Jacobello del Fiore, Lazzaro Bastiani and others, a collection of relics and the bodies of saints, and its bell tower, 62 metres high, is the tallest in Istria. Older churches with frescoes include St Kirin of the 6th century, St Fosca of the 8th-9th, St Margaret of the 12th and Our Lady Traversa of the 13th, and the town museum is in the Bettica palace of 1300 (Wikipedia, Vodnjan).
The main sights
- Undecomposed bodies of saints - brought from Venice in the early 1800s.
- The tallest bell tower in Istria - about 62 metres.
- A large relic collection - displayed with the bodies.
- Award-winning olive oil - the town's other reputation.
When to go
May to October; the chapel keeps limited hours. Half a day.
Practical notes
The mummies are shown in a religious setting with rules about photography and behaviour, and some visitors find them distressing. Opening hours are short and vary. Oil tastings need arranging with individual producers.
Nearby
Pula is south; Bale and the Istrian interior are north.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q396683, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Vodnjan
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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