Motovun

Motovun (mɔtɔ̌ʋuːn, Montona or Montona d'Istria) is a village and a municipality in central Istria, Croatia. In ancient times, both Celts and Illyrians built their fortresses at the location of present-day Motovun. The name of the village is also of Celtic origin, derived from Montona, meaning "a town in the hills". The Parenzana, a narrow-gauge railroad that ran from Trieste to Poreč between 1902 and 1935, passed below the town. Motovun is a medieval town that grew up on the site of an ancient city called Castellieri. It is on a hill above sea level with houses scattered all over the hill. On the inner walls are several coats-of-arms of different Motovun ruling families and two gravestones of Roman inhabitants (dating from the 1st century). In the 10th and 11th centuries it belonged to the bishop of Poreč. From 1278 it was taken over by Venice and surrounded by solid walls which are still intact today, and used as a walkway with unique views over the four corners of Istria. The three parts of the town are connected by a system of internal and external fortifications with towers and city gates containing elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles, built between the 14th and 17th centuries. It is a typical example of Venetian colonial architecture. The late-Renaissance church of St. Stephen was built at the beginning of the 17th century from sketches probably designed by the well-known Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). The church contains several works of art: the marble statues of St. Stephen and St. Laurence by Francesco Bonazzo and the 17th-century painting of the Last Supper over the altar by an unknown Venetian artist. The water cisterns in the square in front of the church date from the 14th and 15th centuries. The river Mirna or Quieto flows below the hill and on the other side of the river is the famous Motovun forest, an area of about in the valley of the river Mirna, of which is specially protected.