Tinjan

Tinjan

Once surrounded by walls and towers, Tinjan today is a place with a very distinct charm, where tradition and history are proudly showed. Located above the eternally green Draga, whose beauty can be enjoyed from the viewing point under the old Tinjan’s trees (Ladonja), sitting on the stone chair, as did its ancestors for centuries. Its old core remained the same ever since the Middle Ages. The oldest house, now restored, dates back to 1442, the symbols on houses such as billhook and the rankun (a type of a reaping hook with a longer handle), proudly put an accent on former occupation of its owners. Attila’s head at the gate of the house from the 16th century testifies of the rich heritage of the Tinjan area, the table of the district-prefect has witnessed many decisions, while many traditions, like the seizure of women from Tinjan and forced marriages for the usurper, are still carried on for today's generations. Old crafts, customs and games are carefully nurtured, perfectly suiting everyday life and giving everyone an insight into some ancient, past times. Each year, the blacksmith festival brings together the best Istrian blacksmiths demonstrating once highly sought products such as hedge bill and others, made by traditional skills that were refined through centuries.

Declared as a municipality of the Istrian ham, every year Tinjan gathers the best ham producers in Istrian region. These superb culinary delights famous all over the world have a protected recipe. Surrounded by vineyards and lush vegetation, Tinjan is an unavoidable choice, offering an interesting history, visible at every step, culinary delights, natural beauty and ancient traditions woven into everyday life of Tinjan’s people.

History

In Roman times Tinjan was named Attinianum and guarded the frontiers of Poreč and supervised the road to Tarsatika. It reached its gold period in the Middle Ages. From 1374 until the arrival of Napoleon, on the behalf of the royal Habsburg family, Tinjan’s fort guarded the border of the Pazin County towards the properties of Venice. All around Tinjan, a trench was dug while just one door and a drawbridge led to the town. From that time we know that Tinjan had its own pillar of shame. From 1578, Tinjan is no longer a fortress but instead became a city. The medieval, local government with the Prefect, decided on the important issues. The selection of the prefect was carried out in a very special way: around the prefect’s table, stone table, which is still there in the shade of the trees called ladonje, the "candidate" would sit, then in the small hole in the middle of the table they would put a flea, they would put their long beards also on the table and waited in whose beard the flea would jump. The one whose beard would be "honored" first by the flea’s jump, that person would become the prefect. Tinjan’s inhabitants were known as very good blacksmiths what can be witnessed by today's symbols of the billhooks and the year engraved on the fronts of old houses, the oldest of which dates back to 1442. Up to this day, the tradition of the blacksmith is still a part of Tinjan and its surroundings.

Recommendations

Tinjan-old town centre with preserved layout of streets and buildings from the Middle Ages, and the carved symbols of their owners, such as the house of Depier’s from 1670 with arcades, tanks and high chimneys, and the double-headed imperial eagle and the Attems emblem from 1558

Tinjan-parish church of St.Simon and Jude from 1773 with statues of Mary, Simon and Jude, the various inscriptions dedicated to the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa, with an interesting facade and the 30m high square tower from 1762

Tinjan – Church of St.Cross with a bell tower from the 13th century next to which there is the famous Tinjan’s Calvary from 1894 Tinjan – stone prefect’s table with 10 carved stone chairs

Kažun- the peculiarity of Istrian kažuns (old small stone constructions) is that they are not always round, but rectangular or buried under ground

European dry stone wall – in the middle of 2007, the construction of the European dry stone wall began, where every builder can insert one numbered stone and get a certificate for participation in the construction. According to the estimates, around 250 000 stones and builders will be needed

Bicycle path "from pond to pond"-the importance of ponds for the former village life is presented in this 30km long cycle path, where one can go around 10 or so restored and re-landscaped ponds and springs, including one of the most beautiful, the Pajićka

Pljočkanje – a game that is a few centuries old, revived in the early 90s, emerged from the shepherds who, while guarding sheep, spent their time throwing stones - "pljočke". Today, this is a competitive game in which local residents participate.

Events

Šimunja and the Festival of Istrian ham - are held at the end of October, where, besides the traditional folk festivals, art of the blacksmiths from all over Istria can be seen and the best ham can be tasted

Muntrilj-Rokova - the folk festival is held in the middle of August

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