Tribil inferiore/Dolenji Tarbij - St. John the Baptist Church

St. John the Baptist Church in Tribil Inferiore is an example of sacred architecture in the Natisone Valley. Documents first mentioning the church date back to 1497 and 1561. In 1725, the Chapter of Cividale authorized its restoration, with further interventions in 1732 and the mid-18th century, when the front door was replaced. The original door was repurposed for the bell tower, built in the 17th century.
The building has a rectangular plan, raised by two steps above the surrounding ground level. The squat bell tower, with a pointed arch portal, is adjacent to the façade on the southern side. The wall is exposed stone, with a gable-fronted façade and a framed and molded stone portal, originally with a pointed arch. The interior has an exposed ceiling with wooden trusses resting on stone corbels, with secondary framing and exposed terracotta tiles.
Inside, there is an altar with a statue made of "plaster and sack" depicting St. John baptizing Jesus, and two small statues representing Jesus and John as children. The altar area is accessed through a lowered arch supported by two pillars, with a flat ceiling connected to the impost cornice by decorated ribs. On the north wall, there is a fragment of a fresco, and the flooring is made of terracotta tiles.
Two ancient rituals are celebrated the night of June 23rd: the creation of the St. John's herb bouquet and the lighting sacred fires in his honor.
The church is part of the "Path of the 44 Votive Chapels" in the Valli del Natisone.