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Peroj ( Montenegrin: Перој) is a village in the Town of Vodnjan on the southwestern coast of Istria,
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. Peroj originally dates back to the Copper Age of
prehistory Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins   million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...
, as testified by a necropolis within the old walls of the village. The village has been settled by families from a variety of origins throughout its history. During the occupation of the Romans, the town was named Pedrolo, and was a popular holiday destination.


Etymology

The term "Peroj" is of debatable origin. One theory suggested by Bernardo Schiavuzzi claims that near modern-day Peroj a settlement known as ''Petroriolum'' (''Petroro'') existed ca. 1197. Camillo de Franceschi, however, suggested that Peroj derives from the archaic name "Pedroli". An alternate theory suggests that the Montenegrin settlers derived the term Peroj from the Albanian word for stream - ''përrua'' (definite "përroi").


History

In 1562 the town had been emptied due to malaria and the plague, and Leonardo Fioravanti from
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brought 124 families of farmers to the area from the Romagna region of present day
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, some of which settled in Peroj. However the people from Pula felt their territories had been violated and began a series of persecutions which lead the families to leave the area. In 1578 some Greek families were brought to the area, and between 1580 and 1583, 25 more Greek families from Nauplio had settled in Peroj, and 25 families from
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
had also settled. In 1585 the families from Nauplio renounced the lands given to them and left the area. The Cypriots remained, but gradually some left and some died due to the plagues affecting the region, and in 1644 the population of Peroj was reduced to three people only. In 1657, the Doge of Venice, Bertuccio Valiero, decided to repopulate the town by bringing 15 families. Five of these families were of Orthodox Christians, originally from the Cernizza region in
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
that had escaped from the Turkish occupation. Based on evidence, it is generally assumed that these Montenegrin settlers carried the surnames Brcela, Draković, Brajić, Vučeta, and Ljubotina. The remaining ten were Roman Catholics, but of unknown origin and are thought to be either of Croatian origin from Albania Veneta or of Albanian origin. However, these Catholic families soon emigrated from Peroj. Following the Cretan War of 1645–1669, twenty other families originally from Montenegro migrated to Peroj, amounting to 25 in total by 1677. These families remained in Peroj and until recently
Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language with four mutually i ...
was taught in the local schools due to their presence.


Demographics

According to the 2021 census, its population was 900. It was 832 in 2011.


Religion

The majority of the population is of the Serbian Orthodox faith with a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
minority. Three Christian churches exist in Peroj: * Church of St. Stephen - Catholic church * Church of St. Fusca - Catholic church * Church of St. Spyridon - Serbian Orthodox church Due to the overwhelming presence of Eastern Orthodox followers, the Orthodox church of Saint Spyridon (''San Spiridione'') was built in the 19th century following the conversion of the former Catholic church of Saint Jerome.Dario Alberi. ISTRIA - storia, arte, cultura. LINT (Trieste, 1997), p. 1852-56


Photo gallery

Image:San Spirodine Church.jpg, St. Spyridon Church Image:Peroj town square.jpg, Peroj Town Square Image:Peroj Memorial.jpg, Peroj Memorial Image:Peroj Roman.jpg, Roman artefacts along the beach Image:Beach_in_Peroj,_July_2015.jpg, The beach in Peroj Image:San Spiridione churchyard cemetery, Peroj (HR) - panoramio.jpg, Church tower


See also

* Barbariga, Croatia * St. Spyridon Church, Peroj


References


Sources

* *


External links


Peroj - Serbian Village in Istria
by Fran Barbalić
Društvo Perojskih Crnogoraca 'PEROJ 1657'
{{Authority control Populated places in Istria County