Church of Saint Roch

In the late Middle Ages, Umag shared the same fate as many other Adriatic cities that were repeatedly ravaged by the plague. The terrible disease decimated the town on four occasions, and after the second one, it was decided that a small church would be built in honour of Saint Roch, patron saint of the plague. The construction began in 1514, within the walls that surrounded the town at the time, and the church was consecrated in 1515 by Foscarini, the Bishop of Novigrad.

The rock-hewn Church of Saint Roch has been standing in the picturesque Square of Marija and Lina for centuries. Although unsuitable for large crowds, whoever enters it will feel welcome.

The first thing that catches your eye at the church entrance is its stone altar with three niches containing the statue of Saint Roch in the middle and of Saint Sebastian and Saint Christopher. To the left of the altar stands a statue of St Peregrine, patron saint of the Umag parish. Next to the existing altar are the remains of an old wooden altar, while the wooden ceiling is decorated with an impressive painting of Saint Roch praying. There are many indications that it is the work of one of the students of Jacopo Palma Vecchio. On the exterior, on the façade above the rosette, there is a bell blessed in 1931. The church was taken care of by the brotherhood of Saint Roch, which has also had tombs in it since 1594.