Tempietto Longobardo

Cividale's most important sight is this stunning complex that houses the only surviving example of Lombard architecture and artwork in Europe. Built in the 8th century, it was originally the chapel of a palace accommodating the representative of the Lombard king before being donated to a Benedictine monastery. The expressive 8th-century frescoes are extremely rare and moving examples of Greek-Byzantine art, while the later stucco work is unusually naturalistic, its luminous whiteness accented by the dark wood choir stalls.