Turnina Tower near Rovinj: remains of a medieval residence
Turnina near Rovinj preserves ground-floor rooms with barrel vaults. An uneven gravel track leads uphill to this ruined medieval residence.
Four rooms beneath stone vaults
Four ground-floor rooms still have barrel vaults, and part of another vaulted room survives on the first floor. Arched openings connect the rooms within the main block, where the walls are up to two metres thick in places. Turnina served as a fortified residence and a lookout over the surrounding land.
The tower, also known by its Italian name Torre di Boraso, stands on a hill about four kilometres east of Rovinj. People lived on the same site in the Bronze Age, long before the medieval residence was built. Its builders enlarged the main block with a projecting extension. The surviving structure once rose above the vaults that remain today.
Archaeologists found the remains of service buildings and a cistern around the tower. Finds include fragments of cooking pots and glazed pottery imported from northern Italy, as well as arrowheads. Alongside the living quarters, these remains reveal the working parts of the residence and its own water supply.
The inhabitants abandoned the residence around the turn of the 16th century. Substantial damage during the Second World War further reduced the surviving building. The Croatian Conservation Institute began excavation and conservation work in 2013. Conservators stabilised the tower, lower walls of associated buildings and part of the plateau’s outer wall.
Walking uphill to the ruins
Expect an uphill walk through woodland on an uneven gravel track. Parts of the approach have been washed out, so we do not recommend driving up to the tower. The map point marks the ruins, not an established car park.
Wear footwear suitable for uneven ground and keep children close, particularly near the edges of walls. Explore the tower from ground level without climbing on the remains. The open plateau has a view towards Rovinj. To continue your day in town, take a walk through its old centre and along the waterfront.
Address: Turnina, Rovinj