St. Michael of Banjole
The location of St. Michael of Banjole can be found approximately 2 km from the church of St. Fosca in Batvači. The name is derived from the settlement that is no longer there, and it is considered that this was the location of the thermae from the Roman period. The complex, which includes the remnants of the medieval basilica, also includes traces of the former settlement and the chapel of St. Michael, in which many fragments of pre-Romanesque and Romanesque furnishings from the nearby older church were found. Remnants of the triple-nave basilica can be found approx. 20 m from the church of St. Michael that was built in 1456, abandoned in the 15th century.
The traces of mosaic found at the same location indicate that the basilica dates back, to the earliest period, to around the 5th century. It was assumed that the basilica was near the antique thermae and that it was possibly a part of the bigger monastery complex. It was immediately confirmed that it was built over several phases, since there were remnants of possible older construction, probably from the Byzantine period. It was impossible to determine the dimensions of the old Christian church, since the research to now doesn't date back further than the medieval flooring.
The rectangular area with extremely thick walls (70 cm) in the southern nave attracts a special attention, and it was proposed that it was reserved for the bell tower. Former research found evidence of stone plaster and a lot of painted plaster, which confirms that the church was painted.
