Church of St. Cosmas and Damian (Crkva sv. Kuzme i Damjana)

Fažana is a fishing town on the west coast of Istria in Croatia, and the church of its patron saints stands on a small square beside the sea, only a few steps from the pier on the Adriatic Sea where the boats leave for the Brijuni islands. Many people pass it on the way to the ferry without going in, and that is a pity, because it contains more art than its plain exterior suggests. The saints are Cosmas and Damian, twin brothers who were doctors in the early Christian period, and the church is the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian (Crkva sv. Kuzme i Damjana).

The building has been altered many times, and that is part of its interest. Tradition holds that the first church on the site goes back to late antiquity, and later phases brought early medieval, Romanesque and Gothic elements, followed by a major rebuilding in the late 17th century that gave the church the form it has today. Further work in the 19th and early 20th centuries added Neoclassical touches. The Gothic doorway has survived the changes and is among the most attractive parts of the building, and a simple façade with a painted lunette over the entrance faces the square. The detached bell tower stands close by.

Inside, the visitor finds a calm, slightly dim space with several altars and a number of older works. A large 16th-century fresco of the Crucified Christ is among the oldest pieces, and paintings on the altars are attributed to Venetian artists of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, among them Leonardo Corona and Baldassare d'Anna. The presence of such painters reflects the long connection of the Istrian coast with Venice, which ruled the region for centuries and sent art to its subject towns. Fragments of later biblical wall paintings add to the picture, and the whole interior gives a sense of how a small fishing community decorated its church over the centuries.

The church is part of daily life in Fažana. The feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, at the end of September, is the main celebration of the year, with Holy Mass, processions and a lively festival in the streets and on the waterfront. At other times, the church is open mostly around services, so it is worth asking locally about visiting times and dressing modestly.

The church is a short walk from the Old Town (Stari Grad Fažana), the Fažana Waterfront and the Parish Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, and from the School of Salting Pilchard and Valbandon Beach. It suits art lovers, history fans and travellers waiting for a boat. A visit takes about fifteen minutes.