St Anthony the Abbot’s Church in Bale: a 15th-century wall painting
St Anthony the Abbot’s Church stands beside Bale’s cemetery. Its wall painting and Glagolitic graffiti preserve traces of late-medieval art and writing.
The church stands at the northwestern edge of the local cemetery, on Ulica Domenico Cernecca, outside Bale’s historic centre.
From a single nave to a cross-shaped plan
The single-nave core dates from the early 14th century. The addition of a sanctuary with a crossing and side wings in the Baroque period gave the church its present Latin-cross plan.
Medieval traces inside the church
A late-Gothic wall painting from the 15th century depicts St Anthony the Abbot. It is attributed to Albert of Constance, whose name and workshop are also associated with the frescoes in the Church of the Holy Spirit. The cemetery church also preserves a carved wooden altar from the 16th century.
Glagolitic graffiti from the 15th and 16th centuries survive on the north wall.
Roof repairs and conservation of the paintings
The roof was repaired in 2024. In April 2026, Istria County signed a funding agreement with the Municipality of Bale for the second phase of restoration work on the wall paintings.
Address: Ul. Domenico Cernecca 11A, 52211 Bale