Get to know Peroj
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, about ten kilometers away from a 3000-year-old town of Pula-Pola and some five kilometers away from Vodnjan-Dignano.
The architecture of the old nucleus reminds of other Istrian towns and villages with old stone houses with balconies.
There is the evidence that there was a settlement called Pedrol as early as 1197.
In the 12th century the population of Istria faces plague and cholera. Due to the fact that most settlements were deserted, the Venetian Republic, which at the time ruled this area, was trying to populate Istria including Peroj, the old inhabitants of which died out. First they tried to populate the area with the peasants and craftsmen from Bologna, and then, two times, with the Greek families from Cyprus and Peloponnesus. These attempts weren’t successful, because these people stayed for a short time and returned to their homeland.
On 21st July 1657, 15 families from Montenegro come to Peroj. The most important and the only document from that time is the, so called, ‘’Charter of Peroj’’ by which this village, pastures and forests surrounding it were given to the families from Montenegro forever.
The Montenegrins who belonged to the Orthodox Church were not given permission to built their own church but were granted the Church of St. Nicholas in Pula, a Greek Orthodox church.
In 1788 the people of Peroj were granted the permission by the Venetian Republic to build their own church.
In 1834 the Church of St. Spyridon has gained its today’s appearance. The chapel was built in 1880, and the bell tower in 1860. It is very interesting that for 350 years the Montenegrins in Peroj have preserved their Orthodox faith, language and the Cyrillic alphabet which they use on tombstones. The autochthonous people of Peroj live the spirit of Peroj. They cherish their customs, church songs and Peroj’s idiom.
Peroj is gradually becoming an attractive tourist destination.