I had never heard of the Euphrasian Basilica, much less did I know that Porec had a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of seven UNESCO sites in Croatia).
Porec is a small seaside town, similar to both Rovinj and Novigrad in size and geography (all are located on spits of land sticking out into the sea). It’s a pretty place with white limestone pavement and is a popular base for tourists who want a holiday of rest and relaxation on the Istrian coast. It’s a laid back town. What makes it spectacular is the Euphrasian Basilica.
Below: Street entrance to to the Basilica complex
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I would usually write a bit about the history of the site. In this case, being a UNESCO site, they’ve done a great job with placards and signs. This placard describes well how today’s present-day Basilica came to be.
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Below: inner courtyard of the complex.
The complex, besides the actual Basilica, includes a sacristy, a baptistry, and a bell tower. What makes the Euphrasian Basilica complex so spectacular is its use of mosaics. Floor mosaics covered the original church built in the 4th century (you’ll see them in remnants of them indoors). In the church ‘garden’, you’ll see the mosaic floor of what used to be a Roman house. But the most spectacular use of mosaics is in the apse (the ‘bowl’ above the alter) in the Basilica itself. The apse is not painted as in most churches, it is entirely covered in mosaics of rich tones that sparkle in the light (as you’ll see in photos below). It actually made our jaws drop, something that doesn’t happen often.
Below: fragments of floor mosaics dating back to the 4th century
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Below: Floor mosaic in the garden, remains of a Roman house.
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Below: Incredible mosaics in the apse of the Basilica.
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Below: remaining mosaic in a side chapel to the Basilica.
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The Basilica’s bell tower is worth the small climb for views over Porec. Spanky doesn’t do tower climbs but did it here after being assured that it was an easy and safe climb. It was.
Below: bell tower from the courtyard.
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Below: Views from the top of the belltower
Below: Very short video showing off the the views from the bell tower
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Below: The Basilica’s location right next to the sea
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More of Porec
As mentioned above, Porec is a pretty and laid back town that can easily be be explored within an hour or two. A few photos:
Above: main street cutting through the old town.
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Above: Venetian style windows
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Above: views of the Basilica’s bell tower through an old gate
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Below: large square and church at the entrance to the old town.
Would we recommend a visit to Porec? Definitely. There are two main historical sites in Istria that are a MUST: the Amphitheatre in Pula and the Euphrasian Basilica in Porec.
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Have you been to Porec? If so, what did you think of it?
The post The Best Preserved Early Christian Complex in the World – Porec’s Euphrasian Basilica appeared first on The Travels of BBQboy and Spanky.