Buzet - Vela šterna (Great Cistern)

Buzet is a historic town in northern Croatian Istria, where the Old Town rises above the Mirna valley. The contrast between the stone upper town and the everyday centre in lower Fontana is fundamental to modern Buzet. The town is recognised by its stone silhouette, Venetian heritage and connection with the truffle country along the Mirna. A large public cistern on one of the squares combines practical water supply with representative late-Baroque design.

Vela šterna is a large public cistern on the square of the same name in Buzet Old Town. It was built in 1788 and 1789 on the site of an older cistern, during the term of Captain Marc’Antonio Trevisan.

The late-Baroque stone enclosure is decorated with massive Rococo volutes and vases. The captain’s coat of arms and a building inscription survive above a Venetian relief of a lion.

The cistern formed part of the town’s water supply, while its elaborate enclosure turned practical infrastructure into the main architectural focus of the square.