The Mummies of Vodnjan – Europe's Best-Preserved Relics

The largest church in Istria is the Church of St Blaise in Vodnjan, which was built in 1800 and took a full 20 years to construct. But the church is known not only for its size and appearance, but for its large number of relics and exhibits. The church holds over 700 different exhibits and 340 relics, the most famous of which are a thorn from Christ's crown and a piece of Christ's cross, while the most interesting are the 3 mummies, which were not embalmed and are among the best-preserved mummies in Europe. One of the mummified bodies belongs to Leon Bembo, who died in 1188, whose body was exhumed after numerous people claimed to have been healed at his grave. After the body was removed, those present were left shocked by how well preserved it was. The second body belonged to Ivan Olini, who died in 1300 and was considered a saint even during his lifetime. The third body belongs to Nikoloza Bursa, who died in 1512 and is also believed to have contributed to unnatural healings. In 2010, all three mummies were subjected to X-rays, which revealed that they contain organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, blood vessels... Opening hours and ticket prices for the Vodnjan mummies.

Collection of Relics in Vodnjan

The Church of St Blaise in Vodnjan, visited by pilgrims from all over the world, is one of the most famous in all of Istria because of its impressive collection of relics, which numbers a total of 370 relics of 250 Christian saints, together with 730 sacred objects dating from the 4th to the 11th century. It is the largest collection in Croatia and one of the largest in Europe, visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. The church was built between 1760 and 1800 and is the largest church in the wider area. The height of the church tower is 60 metres.