Sveti Lovreč, Chapel of St. Blaise

The Chapel of St. Blaise in Sveti Lovreč is a simple building with a rectangular ground plan, covered by a pointed barrel vault. The church's consecration in 1460 is confirmed by a preserved parchment stored within the altar. In 1864, scenes from the Life of Christ were painted over an older layer of frescoes, as indicated by an inscription on the inner side of the western wall.

An older layer of frescoes from the second half of the 15^th century is visible beneath the 19^th-century layer. The upper zone of the sanctuary wall depicts the Crucifixion with two figures of saints. The scene is framed by a series of painted arcades and richly decorated Gothic corbels. In the lower right section of the eastern wall is the figure of St. Paul, while the lunette of the western wall is adorned with the Resurrection. The side walls are divided into three registers. The southern wall features five scenes from the life of St. Blaise, while the northern wall is filled with scenes from the life of a Cistercian or Dominican saint. The compositions are bordered by white bands with red edges and stencilled geometric motifs. The author of the frescoes remains unknown, but his work is associated with the Veronese painting tradition of the early 15^th century.

The frescoes were first documented by Ante Šonje in 1982, in the publication Crkvena arhitektura zapadne Istre. Područje porečke biskupije od IV. do XVI. stoljeća.

Iconographic Program:

Eastern wall: 1 Crucifixion, 2 Saint Paul. Southern wall: 3 Scenes from the Life of Saint Blaise. Northern wall: 4 Scenes from the Life of a Saint. Western wall: 5 Resurrection.