Croatian Travel: Vodnjan Mummies

The Mysterious Mummies of Vodnjan

Just north of the city of Pula on the Istria peninsula you will find the tiny town of Vodnjan. If you are interested in the macabre or just want to see something odd, then this is a can’t miss stop on your trip to Croatia. This is because inside St. Blaise’s Church you will find the perfectly preserved and un-decaying bodies of three long dead saints, St. Nikolosa Bursa, St. Giovanni Olini of Venice, and St. Leon Bembo.

These fully intact mummies are thought to have magical powers due to the fact they have mysteriously managed to avoid decomposition over the years. Believers visit the mummies in hopes of curing disease or being blessed and tourists visit the mummies out of shear curiosity.

Kept inside glass cases, the saints are located behind the main altar of the church and anyone can view the bodies for a small fee. As you examine their centuries old skin, hair, and fingernails you can listen to tape that tells of each saint’s life.

Aside from the mummies the church itself is a nice example of neo-baroque architecture that was built in the early 1800s and was modeled after the Venetian Church of San Pietro in Castello. There is an exceptionally tall bell tower that you can climb and the interior of the church has many beautiful and intricate altars that are worth admiring. Aside from the somewhat morbid attraction, Vodnjan doesn't really offer much more than a couple of good restaurants.