Church of St. John in Ranui is a Baroque chapel standing on farmland at Ranui, in Funes in the Italian Dolomites. A copper-domed bell tower and a frescoed facade sit against the Odle range, which rises directly behind the meadow — the reason the chapel appears on so many photographs of the valley. The interior is not open. Visitors either pay at the turnstile to walk the grounds of the farm, or use the free viewing platform beside the road.
Church of St. John in Ranui
Local name: Chiesetta di San Giovanni in Ranui
The turnstile opens onto a working farmyard: pygmy goats, chickens and the barn smell that comes with them.
- Entrance
- €5 per person at the turnstile, card payment accepted at the gate (price recorded May 2026). The viewing platform by the main road is free.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair-accessible entrance; the grounds are entered through a turnstile.
- Parking
- Two car parks for visitors within about 160 m: Ranui charges a fee, Ranuimüller does not.
- Difficulty
- A maintained path from the turnstile through the farm grounds to the chapel.
- Transport
- Bus stop Ranui, about 330 m from the chapel.
What makes it special
The frame everyone knows — chapel, meadow, the jagged Odle wall behind it — is the one from the viewing platform down by the road, and it costs nothing. Paying at the turnstile buys a closer approach; the chapel itself stays shut, and what you walk into is the yard of a working farm. The building is Baroque — copper-domed bell tower, frescoed facade — and it is a small thing under those peaks. The path through the grounds is kept in good order. Afternoon light warms the rock behind the chapel, and that is when the whole scene glows.
Good to know
- The chapel does not open. A ticket covers the grounds and the outside of the building; the interior stays closed.
- No toilets on the grounds. The nearest public toilets are about 330 m away.
- It is a working farm. Expect livestock and farm smells alongside the postcard scene.
- Rain still works. The chapel photographs well in wet weather, and the crowds thin out.
Getting there
The Ranui bus stop is about 330 m from the chapel, and the free viewing platform sits beside it, closer to the main road — a good many people take their photograph there and go no further. Drivers use the car parks within about 160 m of the entrance. From the turnstile a maintained path runs through the farm grounds up to the chapel.
Best time to visit
Best: evening for the classic angle from the platform, and the afternoon for the mountains — late light brings the colour out of the Odle range behind the chapel.
Avoid: the morning if that postcard frame is the reason you came; earlier in the day it is the opposite angle that works.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside the church?
No. The fee covers the grounds and the outside of the building; the interior is not open to visitors.Is there a free view of the chapel?
Yes. A viewing platform stands between the main road and the bus stop, and it gives the classic postcard frame at no charge.Is it worth paying to get closer?
That depends on what you came for. The paid grounds bring you up to the chapel and through a working farm, but the photograph most people want is already there from the free platform.Is it worth coming in the rain?
Yes. The chapel still reads well in wet weather, and rain keeps visitor numbers down.