Kostanjica – a sleeping beauty above Ponte Porton

If you get off the Parenzana cycling trail at the Ponte Porton intersection, you’ll be smitten by a magnificent view of the Mirna river valley, the sea, Motovun, Vižinada and the hidden gem of Kostanjica!

Kostanjica can be reached by car, following the road ascending from Ponte Porton.

Although settled since the ancient times, as testified by the remains found in the tombs and the inscriptions dating back to the Roman era, Kostanjica is today home to as few as 62 residents. Together with Završje, it used to form a defence line and was surrounded by walls, whose remnants can be found in the southern part of the village.

It was first documented in 1102, as Villa de Castan that the Istrian marquis Ulrich II donated to the Patriarchate of Aquileia.

The village boasts a small square with a parish church, a free-standing bell tower and a town loggia. The houses densely packed around the church mostly date from the 18th and 19th century.

The parish church in Kostanjica is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints Peter and Paul. It was rebuilt in 1500 and features an inscription ‘Electamus Genoa 1769’, from the year it was extended. It takes pride in three altars, the largest of which is made of marble and holds the statues of Saints Peter and Paul. Right by the church is a square-base bell tower with an octagonal spire.