Church of St Pelagius and St Maximus

The Parish church of St Pelagius and St Maximus is a three-nave basilica bearing witness to one of the most important periods in the history of Novigrad.

 It acquired its original form in the early Christian period, when the Novigrad diocese was established, while the present neoclassical façade was completed in 1935. During its golden age, from the 5th/6th century way until 1831, this church was the cathedral, and Novigrad the centre of the diocese. The old bell tower attached to the cathedral’s façade was demolished in 1873 in order to build a new, independent bell tower, which is now the symbol of the town. As soon as you enter this sacred place, you’ll be captivated by its ceiling frescos, majestic organ, Baroque altar and raised choir. Underneath it lies the mystical early Romanesque crypt, the only one of its kind in Istria and one of the few in Croatia.