About this place
The Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč is a 6th-century Byzantine church, considered one of the finest early Christian monuments in the Mediterranean. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997. It stands in the historic centre of Poreč, in Croatian Istria.
When and why was the basilica built?
The present church dates to around 553 and was commissioned by Bishop Euphrasius. It replaced an older basilica that had fallen into disrepair. According to tradition the bishop came from Thrace and took office in Poreč when Emperor Justinian conquered Istria. He dedicated the church to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and to St Maurus, the city's patron saint.
What is there to see inside?
The mosaics are the main draw. Byzantine masters made the wall mosaics, while local craftsmen laid the floor mosaics. The apse mosaic ranks among the most beautiful surviving early Byzantine works in the Mediterranean. Among the figures is Bishop Euphrasius himself, holding a model of the church.
Next to the current building, floor mosaics from earlier churches survive as well. They are an important source for the earlier phases of the site; sources date the oldest remains to the 3rd-4th or the 3rd-5th century.
What does the complex include?
The basilica does not stand alone. The church, memorial chapel, atrium, baptistery and episcopal palace are all preserved. This makes it the most completely preserved early Christian cathedral complex, which is rare, since most comparable sites survive only in fragments.
Why is it on the UNESCO list?
It was inscribed in 1997 under criteria ii, iii and iv. UNESCO describes it as a characteristic example of 5th and 6th-century religious architecture with marked Byzantine influence.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the basilica? In Poreč, Croatia, in Istria, at roughly 45.229 N, 13.594 E.
Who founded it? Bishop Euphrasius, around the middle of the 6th century (553).
Why visit? For the Byzantine mosaics, including the apse showing the founder, and for the complete group of church buildings.
When did it become a UNESCO site? In 1997.
Is it just a church? No. The complex also has an atrium, baptistery, memorial chapel and former episcopal palace.
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