The parish Church of the Immaculate Mother of God in the old village centre was probably constructed on the foundations of a pre-Roman church from the 11th century. They began renovating and expanding the church in the early 13th century.
In 1222, the renovated church was consecrated by the Bishop of Koper Beato Assalone, which is testified to by the stone plaque on the outer south wall. In 1730, under Mayor Anton Rojc, the church was reconstructed again and expanded but it did not receive its current image until 1925, when it was altered according to the plans of Giovanni Mayer from Koper. It was consecrated anew on 8th December 1926. The interior is modest and simple, as the church was robbed in 1831. The only valuable object from its once rich legacy is the Glagolitic missal from 1631, reminding us of the former Slavic service (abolished in 1833). It is now kept in the parish archives. The stone stoup made by the sculptor Norbedo from Koper dates from 1933. The single nave church has a flat ceiling and a polygonal presbytery with a dome above the altar. In 1700, Bishop Paolo Naldini reported in his Corografia Ecclesiastica that the inside of the church was aborned by the five beautiful altars. In the church bell tower, which is made of rectangular sandstone like the church, there is a clock and a stone window dating back to the 19th century, the remains of the oldest church here.
There were three other churches in the village in addition to the Church of the Immaculate Virgin Mary but only the Church of St. Anthony the Hermit remains in the cemetery. The church was consecrated in 1488 by the Bishop of Koper Giacomo Valaresso.
Photos
Smarje - Church of the Immaculate Mother of God
Church of the Immaculate Mother of God
Church of the Holy Virgin
Old tombstone
Information board - Church of the Immaculate Mother of God
Information board - Church of the Holy Virgin
Information board - History
Path to the entrance
Path around the church
Street on the south side of the church in Smarje
Entrance from the south side
Steeple
Statue on the top of the steeple
Belfry from the south side
Plaque
Entrance into the church tower
Church tower
Data
Municipality: KOPER (51794 population)
Settlements in the municipality:
Koper (25521 population), Sv. Anton (1971), Dekani (1632), Spodnje Škofije (1432), Hrvatini (1292),
Pobegi (1254), Prade (1233), Zgornje Škofije (989), Bertoki (985), Šmarje (897), Kampel (770), Vanganel (654), Gažon (624), Šalara (620), Bonini (610), Bošamarin (602), Kolomban (596), Čežarji (587), Škocjan (587), Plavje (565), Marezige (544), Manžan (506), Krkavče (323), Babiči (310), Puče (271), Koštabona (250), Gračišče (244), Črni Kal (229), Boršt (207), Tinjan (197), Srgaši (187), Pomjan (182), Osp (181), Jelarji (180), Kubed (179), Triban (173), Rižana (159), Popetre (150), Čentur (147), Premančan (142), Lopar (141), Podgorje (140), Pregara (138), Hrastovlje (134), Cerej (126), Kortine (122), Movraž (122), Grintovec (118), Grinjan (117), Barizoni (117), Rakitovec (114), Gabrovica pri Črnem Kalu (108), Dol pri Hrastovljah (97), Loka (96), Cepki (85), Kastelec (80), Črnotiče (79), Predloka (79), Poletiči (79), Zazid (78), Krnica (78), Montinjan (76), Labor (73), Bezovica (68), Brezovica pri Gradinu (66), Truške (66), Lukini (64), Topolovec (63), Gradin (62), Sočerga (60), Glem (59), Kozloviči (53), Trsek (51), Trebeše (51), Podpeč (47), Butari (46), Župančiči (45), Sirči (43), Smokvica (37), Bočaji (31), Dvori (29), Zabavlje (28), Socerb (27), Praproče (25), Rožar (25), Koromači - Boškini (23), Fijeroga (23), Abitanti (22), Dilici (15), Stepani (15), Maršiči (13), Pisari (12), Šeki (12), Galantiči (11), Belvedur (7), Tuljaki (6), Olika (5), Sokoliči (3), Karli (2), Brežec pri Podgorju (0), Peraji (0), Zanigrad (0), Brič (0), Močunigi (0)