ex Chiesa di San Silvestro, Premariacco

The church of St. Sylvester Pope was the ancient parish church of Premariacco, built in the 14th century, when the right of the Chapter of St. Mary of Cividale in the curate vicariate of the church was sanctioned.

The building certainly suffered damage in 1306 during the sacking perpetrated by the Count of Gorizia in conflict with the Villalta family of Urusbergo against several villages, including Premariacco; it suffered further destruction during Turkish raids in the 15th century. The greatest damage to the church, however, was caused by the 1511 Earthquake, following which renovations were necessary. On this occasion the original Romanesque style was modified by late Gothic and even pre-Renaissance contributions. The hall and apse were elevated, and during the 17th century the belfry was restored with the addition of the cell and spire.

Restoration work carried out between 1980 and 1981 uncovered the foundations of the triapsidal church under the floor and recovered the entire cycle of frescoes by Gian Paolo Thanner from 1521. The four sails of the vault depict the Doctors of the Church with symbols of the Evangelists, following the same traditional iconographic scheme found in frescoes by the same artist in the church of San Mauro di Premariacco and in that of Camino di Buttrio. In the lower part of the apse are painted three small seated figures, now headless, probably the commissioners of the work; in the lunettes a Last Supper is recognizable. In the lower register of the back wall are depicted the lined-up Apostles, while in the upper lunette a Crucifixion scene is visible. Episodes from the Life of Christ appear on the side walls. In the intrados of the triumphal arch, following the traditional iconography, we see a series of eight Saints depicted with the palm, a symbol of martyrdom and victory over death, along with individual symbols of their martyrdom.

At the beginning of the 20th century the church was abandoned and was replaced by the new building not far away, while nearby is the house of the Confraternity of the Battuti.