Motovunski Novaki is a place located on a hill 333 metres above sea level, which in the 13th century was the centre of the fief of the Aquileia patriarchs, and in 1330 belonged to Motovun and the Venetian Republic. Its turbulent past was written by frequent changes of rulers, and conflicts with the surrounding areas were inevitable. This attractive area was inhabited as early as Roman times. In the 14th century, Croatian refugees arrived here, fleeing from the army of the Ottoman Empire. Following Venetian rule, Motovunski Novaki fell to the rule of the famous Polesini family who built a palace here, of which only the portal has survived.
The Parish Church of St. Marina in Motovunski Novaki was built in 1879 on the site of an older one from the 16th century.