The Church of St. Lovro Premantura

With the populatization of Premantura, the locals have decided to secede from Pomer parish and the 1632nd year they built a new church dedicated to St. Lawrence (Sveti Lovro), martyr. The church is located in the middle of the village, on a hill, was completed on May 7 1632nd year. The curch of St. Lovro  dedication was accomplished in the 1664th year.  On the portal of the church of St. Lovro its carved the date of construction: 7 maggio 1632nd. The church has a single nave, apse is narrower than the nave, with a vaulted roof in which are carved vaults of semicircular windows. The sanctuary is two notches higher than the church nave. The stone triumphal arch separates the sanctuary of the nave, which was originally an open roof. The vertical façade is accentuated by stone entrance on the church portal, circular openings, and distaff for two rings. In the nineteenth. century, along the southern side of the apse sacristy was added and pierced hole which connects the apse. There are an elegant pulpit and baptistery cabinet on the north wall from the nineteenth. century , niche with the statue of the saint on the south wall and a medal with the image of St. Lovro on the ceiling.  The church of Sv. Lovro in Premantura keeps valuable items from the XVII. century like: five altar, crucifix and a processional character. These are valuable altars and the main altar is with a tabernacle and a wooden statue in a niche, as well as statues of  St. Lovro nad St.. Nikola altar with statues of the Blessed Virgin Marija and St. Elizabeth, the altar with a statue of St.Anthony of Padua and other valuable inventories.

The Church of St. Lovro Premantura

Although such a valuable and particularly beautiful altars represented a huge financial effort for a small community like Premantura, ordering the individual works in the short term fits the Venetian tradition. The highest quality altars of wood could not arise in local workshops. They were most likely brought to the parts or have made by traveling craftsmen from Belluno, Udine or Venice. Even four altars of five are dedicated to the Mother of God. What is the value of these altars was evidenced by the letter of the bishop Dragutim Nežić, posted to the Conservation Institute in Rijeka 1957th year, noting that “some people” urged Premantura parishioners to give them the altar of St.Jurij in exchange for a new one. The church stained glass windows are the recent work of an artist from Pula – Lino Skira. Stained glass windows depict the figure of Gospa and St. Lovro, and on the front of the roof there is a rosette. The windows near the main altar are two small stained-glass windows. Opposite St. Lovro Church in Premantura, there is a stone bell tower which was built in the XIX. century. The old tower is 27 meters high from and from the top you can enjoy a really beautiful view.

The first pastor of the newly established parish in Premantura was a villager Miho Slipčević and he held this position until his death in 1665. year. By the end of the 18th century all the parish priests were local people from Premantura: Tone Crnobori, Mate Mihovilović, Nikola Mezulić, Petar Učeta, Ive Mihovilović i Andre Učeta. The priest’s office in Premanturi today performs Joel Ernesto Lopez Catary from Venezuela.

Photo credits: Google Maps, Travelpremantura