Ecclesia S. Mariae de Turre cum capellis suis – identification of an earlier phase of the Church of the Holy Cross at Tar – Stancija Blek (Tar-Vabriga – Torre-Abrega, Istria)

The paper reports the results of the first campaign of excavations at the Church of the Holy Cross near Stancija Blek (Tar-Vabriga – Torre-Abrega municipality, Istria), which is close to the multiphase settlement of Old Tar. A trial trench behind the rear wall of the church and along its southern perimetral wall revealed an earlier building and one grave. Though the uncovered remains are scanty, several distinct architectural designs allow us to propose a first typological determination of the newly discovered structure and shed light on subsequent development at the site.