Architecture

Ostaci nekadašnje tornice

Houses in the villages in the Liburnian hinterland usually consist of a cellar, a kitchen with a tornica (a semi-circular extension with a fireplace), one or two rooms (kamera), and an attic (šufit). The yard is most commonly covered in stone tiles and usually features a well for rainwater (šterna), a smaller stall for sheep (dvor), and a small shed for storing dry branches and leaves (vejnjak). In front of the entrance, there was usually a pergola.

Because of the terrain, houses were mostly built as single-story buildings with an attic. The entrance to the residential part of the house was on one side of the building, and the stall and cellar were entered from the opposite (lower) side. The attic was used for storing hay, which also improved insulation. The houses were built of stone and had wooden beams on the floor and ceiling. Another type of house had both entrances on the same side. The residential part on the first floor was reached by a stairway that had a covered terrace (skod) on top. Beneath it, there was an arch (volta) which provided an entrance to the cellar.

There are several houses in the Viškovo area that have been included in the Register of Protected Cultural Assets because of their architectural or historical value.

Brnasi Rural Area

In the village of Brnasi, not far from the centre of Viškovo, there are several buildings with typical architectural features of the Kastav area. The village can be found on the left, just after passing Halubjan football ground when heading from Viškovo in the direction of Kastav. The houses are privately owned but abandoned.

Kosi – Printing Press

During World War Two, there was a secret printing press in the Sušanj family house in the centre of Kosi. Propaganda materials were printed here. The house is today owned by the descendants of the Sušanj family.

Benaši – Printing Press

The Lučić family house in the village of Benaši served as a shelter during World War Two. Later, it also housed a printing press where the Glas Istre and Il nostro giornale newspapers were first printed. Even though it has been included in the Register of Cultural Assets, the house was completely renovated by its new owners. Its glorious past is attested to by the memorial plaques at the back.

Srok House

The Srok house is located in the village of Brnasi and consists of a single-storey building with a gable roof covered in characteristic roof tiles. There is an annexe on its northern side with an apsidal fireplace extension known as a tornica. The tornica is covered in characteristic roof tiles and originally had a chimney in the centre of its roof. The building is located in the immediate vicinity of the Širola-Kovačić house, which also features a tornica. Together, these two houses create a rural complex that represents one of the last examples of the traditional architectural heritage of the Kastav and Halubje areas (source: Ministry of Culture).

Širola – Kovačić House

The Širola-Kovačić house in Brnasi consists of two connected residential buildings and an outbuilding built of stone with a collapsed gable roof and partially preserved roof tiling. The building has a semi-circular tornica­ with a massive chimney. On the wall, there is a rustic, hand-carved stone head above a small stone-framed window. Next to the house, there is also a stone-built cistern. This and the neighbouring Srok house together create an architectural complex which is connected architecturally and thematically. In terms of its spatial organisation and construction, the Širola-Kovačić house is a typical example of a 19th-century residential house in the Kastav area with an outbuilding (source: Ministry of Culture).

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