Medieval City Dvigrad

Dvigrad is a typical medieval town-castle that was mentioned for the first time as far back as 879. From the very name of the city, it can be concluded that it is about two cities, the first is Moncastella, and the second is Castel Parentino.

The medieval town is located in the municipality of Kanfanar in Limska Draga, in the valley that stretches from the Limska Draga fjord to Pazin. Today’s remains are part of the northern town of Moncastello, which is accessible to visitors, the other part of Dvigrad has been demolished. Dvigrad is surrounded by double defensive walls and they are connected by three city gates. About 200 buildings have been preserved inside the walls, the most important of which are the city palace and the premises of the bishop’s chapel.

There are a large number of legends about Dvigrad, the most famous of which are the Legend of Henry Morgan’s Hidden Treasure and the Legend of the Plague Epidemic. The legend of the hidden treasure tells about the infamous pirate Henry of British origin who fought against the Spanish pirates. Legend has it that Henry conquered Panama and plundered it, breaking the peace between the English and the Spanish, and the pursuit of him began.

According to the legend, Henry escaped to the Gulf of Lim, where he anchored and found Dvigrad, which seemed to him an ideal place to hide the treasure. Another legend tells that during the Venetian rule, Dvigrad prospered as a city, but during the 15th century, it is said that an epidemic of plague, soon malaria, broke out and the inhabitants moved to the nearby town of Kanfanar.

There are numerous ruins of castles and towers in Istria, but we like to say that there is only one Dvigrad. Dvigrad was not demolished due to war or by military force, but it was abandoned. If you want to see what typical Istrian towns used to look like and much more, check out our unforgettable quad tour that goes through Dvigrad, called “Adrenalin Max”.