Parish Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Župna Crkva Sv. Kuzme i Damjana)

The Parish Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Župna Crkva Sv. Kuzme i Damjana) stands in the middle of Fažana in Croatia, facing the sea close to the pier from which boats leave for the Brijuni islands. It is dedicated to the two saints, brothers who were physicians and martyrs, and they are the patrons of the town, which celebrates their feast each autumn. For anyone arriving by ferry or walking along the waterfront, it is the first historic building to appear.

The church has a layered history. An earlier building, probably of the early Middle Ages, stood on or near the site, and the present church is the result of several periods of rebuilding. Romanesque, Gothic and later Baroque and Neoclassical elements all appear in its history, and the church took roughly its current form after a large reconstruction in the late 17th century, with further additions in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A detached bell tower stands close to the church, and the façade is simple, with a painted lunette above the door. A Gothic portal has survived, decorated with reliefs of the patron saints, and it is among the oldest parts of the building.

Inside, the church is richer than its modest exterior suggests. There are several marble altars with wooden retables, fragments of 16th-century frescoes that show how the walls were once decorated, and paintings attributed to Venetian artists, among them The Last Supper by Zorzi Ventura and a Resurrected Christ with Saints linked to Leonardo Corona. These works reflect the long ties between the Istrian coast and Venice, which ruled the region for centuries. The atmosphere is calm and slightly dim, and a visit rewards slow looking.

Opening arrangements vary. The church is usually open for visitors in the mornings and evenings in high summer, in July and August, and it is otherwise mainly open around services, with Mass on Sundays, so it is wise to check locally and to dress modestly. The church is part of a short walk through Fažana: the Old Town (Stari Grad Fažana), the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian (Crkva sv. Kuzme i Damjana), the School of Salting Pilchard and the Fažana Waterfront are all close by.

It suits history and art lovers, and anyone who enjoys small churches with a story. A visit takes about twenty minutes and fits easily before or after a boat trip to Brijuni.