In the past, Vodnjan-Dignano was an important urban center and so today this town is an interesting destination especially for those who love art and culture.
Walking around the old part of town you'll be surprised by the multitude of buildings from different periods: Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. To emphasize the family palace Bettica, the popular Castle, built in 1300, now houses the museum. Very interesting is the parish church of St. Biagio whose bell is by far the highest in Istria (62 meters). In the church are preserved mummified bodies of saints and a collection of relics.
The village of Peroj, situated on the south-western coast of southern Istria, with a beautiful view of the Fažana-Fasana Channel and the Brijuni Archipelago.
The architecture of the old nucleus reminds of other Istrian towns and villages with old stone houses with balconies.
The surrounding areas of Barbariga were densely populated in the ancient times that is evidenced by numerous archeological findings-rests on the coast as well as in the hinterland. The remains of a Roman villa from the 1st century were found on the coast and in the immediate vicinity the remains of an ancient oil mill for processing olives.
Galižana-Gallesano is one of the oldest places in Istria, dating back to the prehistoric period. It was the centre of the Pula-Pola colonial ager and the junction of Roman roads, decumanus and cardo maximus.
Thanks to the dialect, one of the oldest in this area, that directly originates from medieval Latin and folk language, names, nicknames, toponyms and other features of this remarkable area have also been preserved.
The settlement of Betiga was named after the original owners of the area, the Bettica family from Spain that settled in Vodnjan in the Middle Ages having left the Spanish kingdom due to disagreements with its rulers. Members of one branch of the family found a home in this area and bought houses and estates in Vodnjan and the surrounding area. The settlement was undoubtedly of great importance, which is suggested by remnants of Roman villas and two important churches dedicated to St. Andrew and St. Agnes.