In the 16th century, the church was mentioned under the name »S. Mari(n)a(e) della Villa Morta«, which supports the theory that the village was deserted after the plague. In the 18th century, the church was given its modern appearance with an enlarged single nave. At the end of the 19th century, the villagers built a mighty bell tower crowned by a statue of St Joseph. According to oral tradition, the villagers earned the money for the project by selling Istrian garlic.