St Jacob’s Church

Nestling near to the homonymous hamlet, the quaint church is located in the surroundings of the early "Troi Paian" high altitude trail, which already in long passed days connected Venice at the Mediterranean Sea with Valle Isarco in South Tyrol, passing the Val Gardena and crossing several Dolomite passes. We don't know exactly when the St Jacob's Church, called Dlieja da Sacun in Ladin, was built. Some historians believe that it dates back to the year 1181. According to local people it was built by the Counts of Stättenecke, which lived only in the second half of the 13th century. First written documents, however, date back to August 18, 1283.

The church is dedicated to St Jacob, Apostle and patron saint of travellers and pilgrims. The building with its idyllic St Jacob Wood Cemetery is surrounded by a shingle-roofed circular wall. In the course of the centuries, the originally Roman building was reconstructed and changed several times. Today the Gothic style dominates, the interior boasts both Gothic and Baroque elements.

The most precious part of the church is probably the presbytery, featuring beautiful Gothic frescoes that date back to the late 15th century. Of importance from an artistic and historical point of view are also the wall paintings from the late 16th century near to the pulpit and a Lenten veil dating back to the years 1620/1630. The richly decorated high altar, its winding pillars and the gilded figures representing princes of church, apostles and angels are an especially valuable evidence of the local sculptors in the baroque era. They are reproductions - the originals can be seen in the Museum de Gherdëina (Val Gardena Heritage Museum) in Ortisei.