Two Bosnians who have been living in Zagreb for years decided to buy an old Italian elementary school in Istria, which was built by the fascists in the 1930s and which had been deteriorating for decades, and to renovate it into a beautiful villa.
It is a property with a rich history, and its design and architecture have adapted in the best way to local architecture and the needs of the modern age.
Villa Scvola Elementare is located in the village of Modrusani near the town of Zminj, which is close to Rovinj and Porec. It was originally a school that was built in 1934, and the old name “Scvola Elementare” is still preserved at the entrance, which means elementary school. It is known that classes in this school took place until the beginning of the 90s. Children attended classes from the first to the fourth grade, and inside the school,there were also two apartments intended for teachers.
“Everything actually started simply. We found out that the Municipality of Zminj had announced a public tender for the sale of real estate, we made our offer which implied that the school would not be demolished, and that offer was accepted. The whole process went easily, quickly, and without too much administration,” the owners said.
Then the renovation started, which required a lot of effort to create their dream home.
The villa now has as much as 421 square meters. On the ground floor, there is a living room with a richly equipped library and a piano, and there is certainly also a kitchen with a dining room. The owners “went a step further” so the villa has a space for people with disabilities, which includes a bathroom and a small kitchen. On the first floor, there are four luxuriously furnished bedrooms, while on the terrace there is a swimming pool, a barbecue and a space for a summer cinema.
