Šterna village – the cistern of Grožnjan

The picturesque village of Šterna lies on a hillside between the village of Marušići and Oprtalj, just off the Istrian desert of Piski. It was dubbed the ‘cistern of Grožnjan’ for its inexhaustible water spring that fed six canals in the valley north of the church.

As you get near Šterna, the first thing you will notice is the Parish Church of St Michael the Archangel, nestled by the spring just beneath the village. It was built in 1746, and boasts a large crucifix and an invaluable altarpiece dating back to the late 16th century. Its bell tower was erected in 1791.

Šterna is located in a place where limestone and flysch bedrocks come into contact. Some of the houses in the village are made of grey sandstone, typical of the area, and some of white limestone. They are all an example of Istria’s traditional rural architecture.