View from Motovun, Istria, Croatia by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

Motovun is a village in the interior of the Croatian province of Istria, and it is situated on a hill, 270 metres above sea level. From a distance, Motovun gives a medieval appearance, its houses are irregularly scattered on the hill, which is also used for grape growing, from which Istrian wine is made. At the bottom of the hill on which the village lies flows the Mirna. Across the river is the Motovun forest, where truffles are found.

In ancient times, both Celts and Illyrians built their forts on the site of today's Motovun. The name of the village is also of Celtic origin, derived from Montona, meaning "a city in the hills". The town grew on the site of an ancient city called Castellieri.

In the 10th and 11th centuries, it belonged to the bishop of Poreč. From 1278, it was taken over by Venice and surrounded by solid walls that are still intact, and used as a walkway with a unique view of the four corners of Istria. The three parts of the city are connected by a system of internal and external fortifications with towers and city gates with elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles, built between the 14th and 17th centuries. It is a typical example of Venetian colonial architecture. On the interior walls are several coats of arms of different ruling families in Motovun and two tombstones of Roman inhabitants (dating from the 1st century).

The late Renaissance church of St Stephen was built at the beginning of the 17th century according to sketches probably designed by the famous Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). The church contains several works of art: the marble statues of St Stephen and St Laurence by Francesco Bonazzo and the 17th-century painting of the Last Supper above the altar by an unknown Venetian artist. The cisterns in the square in front of the church date from the 14th and 15th centuries.