Cernetig/Černeče - St. Paul Church
[15th-16th; 19th-20th centuries]
St. Paul parish is set just above the village of Cernetig and stands as one of the most significant historical landmarks in the area. Built in the mid-15th century, likely on even older foundations, the church was consecrated in 1496. The church has undergone many renovations and restorations due to various events in history, including earthquakes.
Ancient maps mention the existence of a fortified tower at the church site, but no visible traces remain. The original church was destroyed by the 1511 earthquake and rebuilt in 1517. The bell tower was completed in 1544. Other renovations took place in 1894, with the most recent repairs made after the earthquake in 1976.
The current external appearance of the church is 19th-century, with plastered and horizontal moldings that tripartite the façade. The geometry of the openings gives the building an articulated structure: two double-height niches, one housing a statue of St. Paul from 1726, flank the central portal, which is framed in stone and topped by two blind oculi. A third oculus is placed at the center of the tympanum above the entrance.
Inside is a single nave with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and side chapels framed by round arches. At the end of the nave is the main altar, made of marble, adorned with statues of the Virgin Mary and Saints Peter and Paul. The bell tower is made of exposed stone.
The Church of St. Paul is included in the "Path of the 44 Votive Chapels" in the Valli del Natisone.
ph. Franco Martelli Rossi, Archive Arcidiocesi di Udine, BBCC
ph. Nadiske doline
ph. Franco Martelli Rossi, Archive Arcidiocesi di Udine, BBCC
ph. Franco Martelli Rossi, Archive Arcidiocesi di Udine, BBCC
