Vižinada, Church of St. Barnabas
Century/year: second half or end of the 14th century
Historical-cultural period: Gothic style
The Church of St. Barnabas was built during the Romanesque period in the centre of Vižinada. The single-nave church originally featured a double-apsed sanctuary, traces of which are today visible in the outlines of the flat end wall. During the Baroque remodelling, the church was heightened and the apse spaces were removed. The frescoes from the late 14th century have been preserved at the level of the building's former height.
On the end wall, only the figures of saints placed within painted arcades are visible, which once formed the lower register of the apses. The lateral wall surfaces are filled with scenes from the Life of Christ, while the western wall is painted with scenes of Paradise, Hell, and the Last Judgment. These compositions, along with the lower zone of the painted velarium, are separated by a richly designed border featuring half-length depictions of saints. Based on stylistic and typological characteristics, two distinct painting hands can be discerned. The master who painted the scenes of the Adoration of the Magi and the Nativity stands out for his higher quality of execution. However, the stylistic origins of both painters are linked to the North Italian trecento.
The first review of the frescoes was provided by Branko Fučić in 1982, in the publication Glagoljski natpisi.
Iconographic program:
Southern wall: 1 The Nativity, 2 Adoration of the Magi, 3 Massacre of the Innocents. Western wall: 4 Paradise (Coronation of the Virgin), 5 Christ in a Mandorla supported by Angels, 6 Hell. Northern wall: 7 Dispute in the Temple, 8 The Last Supper, 9 The Crucifixion, 10 The Resurrection. Eastern wall: 11 Remains of Saints under Arcades.
Scene locations
B. FUČIĆ, 1982., Glagoljski natpisi, Zagreb, 1982, 360; M. WALCHER, 1997., u: ALISI, Antonio, Istria. Città minori (bilješke), Trieste, 1997, 190; A. TAMBINI, 1997., Un volume sulle arti nei centri minori istriani, Arte in Friuli. Arte a Trieste, 16-17, Trieste, 1997, 369-374., 372; I. MATEJČIĆ, 2002., Freske crkve Sv. Barnabe u Vižinadi, Poreč, 2002; N. MARAKOVIĆ, Ivan Matejčić, 2004., Freske crkve Sv. Barnabe u Vižinadi (prikaz), Hortus artium medievalium, 10, 2004, 92-93; Ž. BISTROVIĆ, 2011., Šareni trag istarskih fresaka, Pula, 2011., 134-143; E. COZZI, 2016., Affreschi medievali in Istria, Trieste, 2016., 235-254.