Žminj, Chapel of the Holy Trinity

The Gothic Chapel of the Holy Trinity was originally a free-standing structure within the Žminj castle complex. Today, it is attached to the north-western side of the parish church of St. Michael, functioning as one of its side chapels. The single-nave building has a square ground plan with a flat rear wall and is covered by a pointed barrel vault. The interior of the chapel is entirely covered with wall paintings which, according to an inscription on the velarium of the eastern wall, are dated to the year 1471. The authorship of the frescoes is attributed to the workshop of Master Bolfgang, a Late Gothic painter active in the region of present-day Upper Carniola (Gorenjska) and Lower Carniola (Dolenjska) in Slovenia.

In the lunette of the eastern wall, Christ is depicted within a mandorla supported by four angels. The lower zone of the wall is filled with scenes of the Incredulity of Thomas and the Ascension, set within painted Gothic arcades. On the side walls and the vault, fifteen scenes have been preserved, arranged in three registers. The narrative sequence begins with the Annunciation in the right section of the uppermost register on the southern wall. The scenes from the Christological cycle continue onto the western and northern walls of the chapel. The depictions are framed by multi-coloured borders filled with geometric stencilled ornaments.

Antonio Morassi introduced the wall paintings to scientific literature in the article Antica pittura popolare nell’Istria, published in the journal Le Vie d’Italia in 1924.

Iconographic Program:

Eastern wall: 19 Christ in Majesty (Rex gloriae), 17 Incredulity of Saint Thomas, 18 Ascension. Southern wall: 1 Annunciation, 13 Resurrection, 14 Three Marys at the Tomb, 15 Noli me tangere, 16 Christ Appearing to the Eleven Apostles. Northern wall: 3 Fall of the Idols, 4 Massacre of the Innocents, 5 Return of the Holy Family from Egypt, 6 Baptism of Christ, 7 Expulsion of the Merchants from the Temple, 8 Last Supper, 9 Christ on the Mount of Olives (Agony in the Garden), 10 Kiss of Judas, 11 Christ before Pilate, 12 Crowning with Thorns. Western wall: 2 Flight into Egypt.