Hrastovlje Church (Slovenia)

One of the most interesting sites of Primorska and incredibly still little known, despite being a few tens of kilometers from Trieste, is the fortified church of Hrastovlje (Cristoglie in Italian).

This area is inhabited since ancient times, there was in fact present a prehistoric fort and the whole valley is rich in memories of the past. The Holy Trinity Church (Sveta Trojica) that we can still see today, was built between the XII and XIII century, while in the sixteenth century it was surrounded by fortified walls, forming one of the many tabor (fortified church) in this area , from the Collio and Carso well. The tabor had primarily defensive purposes to protect churches from the frequent Turkish invasions, anything but friendly toward the Christian places of worship.

But in addition to the walls, perfectly preserved, is another feature that makes it of particular interest the small church of Hrastovlje. During the restoration work carried out at the beginning of the 50's, under a protective layer of lime, the original frescoes of 1490 that cover the walls of the church were found. They depict scenes of the Trinity, the Magi, the Apostles, the Saints, the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, the Passion of Christ and the life of the locals in the cyclical course of the seasons.