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Lombard Temple

An eighth-century Lombard oratory above the Natisone gorge with six stucco saints, a UNESCO site.

  • Cividale del Friuli
  • Church
Plan your visit
Where
Cividale del Friuli
Best for
Six stucco saints
Allow
1 hour
Tickets
From €6
Checked September 2026

The Tempietto Longobardo is a small oratory built around the middle of the eighth century as a palace chapel in Cividale, the first Lombard duchy in Italy, and perched almost over the Natisone gorge.

Inside, six nearly life-size female saints in stucco stand in a procession high above the doorway, set among frescoes and carved decoration that mix Roman, Byzantine and Germanic traditions. It is the finest surviving work of early medieval art in northern Italy, and part of the 2011 UNESCO listing Longobards in Italy: Places of Power. The oratory is tiny and belongs to the Santa Maria in Valle monastery complex, so allow time to see both.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The six stucco saintsLombard-era workshop, mid-8th century

    Six nearly life-size female saints in a procession, the finest surviving early medieval sculpture in northern Italy.On the wall above the entrance

  2. The vine frieze over the doorway

    An openwork vine frieze set with rosettes that once held glass beads, above Christ with the archangels Michael and Gabriel.Above the portal

  3. The wooden choir stalls

    Carved wooden stalls that add a later layer to the Lombard oratory.In the central space

  4. The fragmentary frescoes of the presbytery

    Fragments from different periods that show the layering of the chapel's decoration.In the presbytery vault

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €6
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
1 hour
Best time
Weekday mornings, when the tiny interior is least crowded
Getting there
In Cividale’s old town on Via Monastero Maggiore, inside the limited-traffic zone; walk in from Piazza Duomo or the Devil’s Bridge. Cividale is reached by regional train or road from Udine, with parking near the station and at the edge of the center.
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance and restrooms. Via Monastero Maggiore is in the limited-traffic zone, with free and paid parking in the nearby streets.

The ticket includes the Santa Maria in Valle monastery. Reduced €5 for ages 18 to 25; €1.50 for ages 8 to 25 in education; free under 8. Combined tickets add the National Archaeological Museum and Christian Museum (€15 in total). Online booking carries a €1 fee. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Look up: the six stucco figures are the whole point, and the light on them is kindest earlier in the day. Afterwards, walk to the Devil’s Bridge over the Natisone for the view of the gorge.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at the Lombard Temple in Cividale?

About an hour, including the monastery of Santa Maria in Valle that houses it. The oratory itself is tiny, so most of the time goes into looking closely at the stuccoes.

Is the Lombard Temple worth visiting?

Yes. It is the finest surviving work of early medieval art in northern Italy, and part of the UNESCO listing for the Lombards in Italy. The six stucco saints alone justify the trip.

Do you need to book the Lombard Temple?

No, tickets are sold at the entrance. The space is very small, so at busy times you may wait a few minutes for your turn inside.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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