Grimalda: Views, Churches and Istrian Music

Grimalda stands on a 447-metre-high hill and is one of central Istria’s notable viewpoints. The settlement developed on the site of a prehistoric hillfort. This gives the place both scenic views and a connection to prehistory.

Location and agricultural surroundings

The viewpoint gives the choice of location a scenic focus. At the same time, the slopes around Grimalda are considered suitable for growing grapevines and olives; local winemakers and olive growers are associated with the area. The place can therefore be understood both in terms of its elevated position and the agricultural character of its surroundings. For planning your trip, these are two distinct aspects: the views from the hill and the crops grown on the surrounding slopes.

Two churches of St George, different building phases

Grimalda’s religious heritage includes two churches dedicated to St George. The older one dates from the 13th century and retains Romanesque elements as well as Gothic buttresses. A larger neoclassical church of St George, built in 1891, stands alongside it. The comparison shows different building phases under the same patronage: the older church combines Romanesque elements and Gothic buttresses, while the second church is neoclassical in design. Grimalda’s church-building history can thus be understood through specific differences in style and date.

Traditional music around St George’s Day

Around the feast of St George on 23 April, Grimalda hosts the Supci pud mavricun gathering, where young musicians perform traditional Istrian music. The event adds a recurring cultural occasion to the enduring record of the area’s building phases. If you would like to plan your trip around the gathering, check the exact dates locally for the relevant year.

Cultural history in the wider destination of Općina Cerovlje

Other places in the wider destination of Općina Cerovlje also offer their own historical points of interest; these are not part of Grimalda itself. In Draguć, the former settlement was destroyed by fire during the Uskok War of 1615 to 1618 and then rebuilt according to a precise plan. Also in Draguć is the Romanesque Church of St Elijah, a building from the late 12th century made of two-coloured stone blocks. These examples complement Grimalda’s church-building history with themes such as rebuilding and Romanesque architecture.

In Gologorica, the Romanesque Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary has Gothic frescoes painted around 1400 by an unknown artist. Vela vrata was formerly the settlement’s main gate. This historical focus differs from that of Grimalda: here, frescoes and a former main gate feature alongside church architecture, while in Grimalda the two churches of St George illustrate different building phases.

Another event in the wider destination of Općina Cerovlje is the annual gathering of bajs players, “Z bajson u Draguć,” in Draguć. It takes place on the third Sunday in June. By comparison, the music gathering in Grimalda takes place around St George’s Day on 23 April. If you would like to plan a trip around either event, check the exact dates locally for the relevant year.

Discover more destinations: Korelići, Cerovlje, Draguc, Paz, Borut, Previž, Novaki Pazinski, Gologorica

For the wider travel overview: Općina Cerovlje.