[3] Village was founded on 11 November 1646 - the feast day of Saint Martin - by the refugees from the Dalmatian coast and Bosnia and Herzegovina who fled from the Ottomans.

[5] 43°17′14″N 16°52′20″E / 43.28722°N 16.87222°E / 43.28722; 16.87222The newly formed village was established around the already existing abandoned small church of St. Martin which had been previously damaged but repaired by the refugees upon their arrival.

As the settlement was growing in size, Franciscan friars decided to stay and began receiving more lands encouraged by Venetian military officer Leonardo Foscolo who endowed them by special document which highlights their merits.

Meanwhile, local population gained momentum in developing and expanding their settlement by cultivating surrounding fields and vineyards.

The construction finally commenced in 1747 as the foundation of Franciscan friary was laid down by a famous Croatian poet fra Andrija Kačić Miošić.