Traditional Celebration of St. Francis in Završje

In Završje, a small town between Grožnjan and Oprtalj, every year two weekends after Easter, the traditional celebration of the local patron – Saint Francis – takes place featuring a cultural and entertainment programme.

The two-day program begins on Saturday, April 18, with a cultural event honoring Ottavio Štokovec Rapatočki, a folk musician and musical instrument maker. In the evening, there will be a social and entertainment program featuring the Tu i Tamo Band.

The main part of the celebration will take place on Sunday, April 19. After the Holy Mass, a sacred music concert will be held at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where Danijel Damjanović and the Milost Choir, along with guest singers, will present songs from their latest album “Projekt Psalmi”. The program features contemporary musical arrangements inspired by biblical psalms, expressed clearly, directly, and powerfully, with each psalm interpreted by a guest through their own sensitivity and personal experience. Guest performers include Kristina Jurman Ferlin, Iva Gortan, Vlatka Kladarić, Mateo Pilat, Rev. Josip Mašina, and Petra Tripar. The concert will complete this year’s celebration with a solemn and inspiring atmosphere.

Završje is located above the Mirna river valley on a 240-meter-high hill. It has always been a small agricultural settlement with cultivated fields, olive groves, and orchards. The town was surrounded by double walls, which are still partially visible today, with two gates passing through them, of which only one is discernible today. Above the door, you can see ancient bas-reliefs and the coat of arms of the Contarini family, which ruled this fiefdom for three centuries.