U uvodnom dijelu autori se b~ve pit~njima vezanim za osnutak Fulfinuma (Omišlja), odnosom novonastalog grada i omišaljske gr~dine, te odnosom Fulfinuma i Curicuma (Krka) nastojeći protumačiti zbivanja koja su prethodil~ utemeljenju i gradnji sakralnog kompleksa na Mirinama. Potom iznose rezultate arheoloških istraživanja, koja su 1993. godine provedena u unutrašnjosti crkve, te po,ebno apostrofiraju integralni aspekt spomc:ničke zaštite crkve na Mirinama i njenog kulturno-povijesnoga okoliša.The scholarly world was introduced to the early Christian church in Mirine in the Sapan Bay near Omišalj in early 20th century through the works of A. Gnirs and G. Szabo. In midcentury, trial trenches were dug by the Institute for Protection of Monuments, Rijeka. It was sporadically surveyed by archaeologists working in ancient Fulfinum.
The church, which occupies thc central position in the complex, belongs to the early type of Christian church which had a cross-shaped ground plan, with a flat back wall, a subselium inscribed in its eastern arm, pastophories, transept, nartex, a tower by its facade and a portico to the south. In spite of all of these particulars there are still many problems concerning this complex: general and particular geographical location; original architectural articulation; its relation to the historical landscape in which it originated, lasted, and underwent many changes; and eventually, its chronology and datation.
In an attempt to solve these problems the author used three parallel approaches whose aims were to survey and protect the entire complex.
The first approach offers a global historical genesis of those settlements which show continuity of life in the north-western part of the Island of Krk on which the early Christian complex in Mirine originated and endllred.
These are Omišalj -whose chronology ranges from prehistoric hillfort, over an ancient satellite settlemcnt to a mediaeval town, anci Fulfinum -a classical ancient town and mllnicipium, a newly designed town in the Sapan Bay. To date, a poorly known ancient and early mediaeval component of the historical continuity of thc Omišalj hillfort has been stressecI as well as the rival parallelism of ancient municipiums on the Island of Krk: that of Curicllm and Fulfinum which might have been reflected in the process of the formation of their early Christian communes.
Protective research works carried out by RRI in 1993 included relevant parts of the nave and portico facing the Sapan Bay. At the same time, church walls and the area of nearby ancient Fulfinum were surveyed.
Special attention was paid to the interior behind the facade wall where graves and a part of a lime-kiln from the beginning of ancient Fulfinum were discovered. At this time trenches which were made 50 years prior were revised to define articulation of thc church interior.
Foundations which were discovered opposite the groove on the northern wall (the base of a pilar) show that the church had cl nave and two aisles. On the basis of those grooves left by the arcades the author concludcd that the original church interior was in a later phase divided by arcades in three parts. This adaptation, however, may be considered as a completely indepcndent phase when the entire complex was fortified. The impression is strcngthened by meticulously built-in openings for windows along the longitudinal walls of the church atrium.
Research on the eastern arm of the church have only just started on the groundplan projection of the triumphal arch. The wall foundations, which were found, suggest that any solution might bc possible for the triumphal arch including a "classical" one. This impressive arch, with a 9 m span, rests on a pilar and a massive column wbich were statically reinforced by a console. The central part of the transept might have been separated from the eastern arm of the church by a wall into which a triumphal arch of modest dimensions with a door leading behind subselium was made. Although there were alsu separate pastoforias, subselium may have preserved its function. The portico and the building whose ground floor was connected tu the nartex and to the south with the area outside the church (which can be defined as a bell tower, and in one phase even a "mausoleum"), have been researched. Although the soil was rather eroded it was possible to reconstruct the rhythm of the arcades, the architecture and the appearance of the entire portico owing to vague traces of foundation architecture on the bed rock, and marks of the roof construction on the southern perimetral wall.
Multidisciplinary research of the church complex -a one time center of spiritual life and ancient civilization -started in 1993. The aim of the research is to establish its future which hopefulJy is a multi-purpose ambience of cultural (material and spiritual) activity, which would counterbalance the destruction and the attempt to sacrify it to "gods of energy" surrounding it. This is the reason for the necessity to continuously conserve and preselve the activity of this monument and why it is so strongly stressed. So a large number of suggestions, ideal reconstructions of architectonic elements, segments and wholcs should be taken as "working material" which will be completed by further research, and when fully defined, become a nucleus of the final project.
Together with the first phase of field work, this paper presents some introductory observations concerning the typology of church es with inscribed crosses to which the Mirine church belongs and their acceptance, indirectly, from the East through Ambrosiano-Milanese as terminus post quem Ravenatian and Aquileian-Istrian building practices, that is, historical, political and religious influences. The possible existence of early Christian monastic enclaves in this area has also been researched