In 1785, a dispute erupted in Fažana when mill leaseholder Antonio Artusio took the Bishop of Pula to court, demanding that locally harvested olives be pressed in the village's own mill — sparking a legal battle that dragged on for years while the bishop's olives quietly kept crossing into Vodnjan.
In 1785, after the peasants had harvested the last olive from the bishop's groves at Cape San Lorenzo in Fažana and set off for Vodnjan to press their rich haul, the noble Mr. Antonio Artusio cried out: "No! That's not how it's done. The olives must be pressed in my mill!"
Mr. Artusio had leased the Fažana oil mill, expecting handsome profits. But for the second year in a row, he watched helplessly as his investment slipped through his fingers, while the bishop's abundant olives made their way to Vodnjan instead. The Bishop of Pula, Ivan Domenico Juras, owned the largest olive grove in the Fažana commune—and the ambitious mill manager wanted his share of that golden harvest.
"It's a scandal!" Artusio shouted—and took the matter to court.
"Olives grown and harvested in Fažana must be processed in an oil mill in the same village," he argued.
The case kept lawyers and lawmakers busy for years. Meanwhile, the monsignor's olives—blessed by God—continued to cross the border into Vodnjan… only to return home to Fažana in the form of precious olive oil.
Where tradition, nature, and the story of olive oil come to life
Nestled in the gentle landscape northeast of town, the Church of St. Eliseus stands as a testament to the rich history and architectural beauty of the region.
The Presentation and Education Centre of the Brijuni National Park has been opened at the Boathouse.
