Istrian Assembly Hall, Istria, Croatia

4Echter_Potsdamer 5:00 PM Oct 12, 2019

Hidden but worth looking
The assembly hall is hidden in poreč old town, at the end of the peninsula. But the building is worth to walk there and have a look.

4Sandygranny 5:00 PM Aug 26, 2018

Aother impressive building in Porec.
This early 14th century building is another multi-layered Porec monument where size and purpose have changed through history. The church and the monastery were erected on the foundations of the 5th century St. Thomas church as witnessed by preserved wall and floor mosaic small fragments displayed on its ground floor under a transparent staircase leading to the ceremonial hall. It is not known when the monastery was abandoned. Written documents mention that the church was deconsecrated in 1806 during a short reign of Napoleon. It was later purchased by Marquis Francesco Polesini, who had it horizontally divided into ground and first floors. In 1861, the first floor hall became the town hall of the Regional Assembly. The ground floor was turned into a wine cellar with built-in glass coated barrels preserved until the present time. The Istrian Assembly Hall features preserved rich pieces of stuccowork and frescoes which embellish the ceiling. The stucco was made by craftsman Giuseppe Monteventia from Bologna in 1751. Stuccoes frame three ceiling medallions containing frescoes – the largest, showing the rendering of the Immaculate Conception, is placed in the middle while the side medallions show the Vision of St. Anthony of Padua and the Stigmatisation of St. Francis. Frescoes were painted by Venetian painter Angelo Venturini parallel with stuccowork. The precise year in which these decorations were made is known from a preserved document which mentions they had been donated by Franciscan priest Francesco Michiel who also had the St. Cross marble altar made for this church in 1727. The altar can be seen in the church of Our Lady of Angels. Today, the Istrian Assembly Hall is used as a venue for holding seminars, ceremonial sessions of the County Assembly as well as art exhibitions, including the Porec Annale, the longest-running art exhibition in Croatia. After years of neglect, the building that was once a wine cellar is open to the public and is used as a venue for holding various events in the Assembly Hall.