The Church of St. John the Baptist, built in the 14th century, is a single-nave church. The saint is one of the most solemnized in Sardinia, but Pabillonis has its own specific ritual toward St. John. Tradition recalls this evocative event: the Saracen pirates’ assault on the village in 1584. While part of the population was captured and taken captive to Africa, other inhabitants managed to take refuge amidst the dense “abiu” (white alder) forest of the Riu Bellu River. Here, the escapees were saved through the intercession of St. John. To thank the saint, every year since then, on August 28/29, floats decorated with alder branches, in Sardinian “abiu” (is carrus de s’abiu), accompanied by the faithful in traditional Sardinian dress, parade through the village. The ritual is deeply felt by the community and welcomes hundreds of tourists each year. The church contains a gilded tabernacle from the 1600s, representing the baptism of Christ and the Last Supper.
