Church of the Holy Trinity, Hrastovlje

This small fortified Romanesque church in the Slovenian Istria region is famous for a cycle of medieval frescoes covering its interior. Painted in the late fifteenth century, the scenes culminate in a vivid Dance of Death, in which skeletons lead people of every rank toward the grave, a rare and powerful medieval memento mori. Enclosed by defensive walls raised against Ottoman raids, the modest stone church sits amid rolling hills. Its combination of fortification and painted interior makes it one of the region's most striking monuments.