Although it is believed that the name of the village comes from words Trebunj or Trebić used by the heathen Croats for the autumn sun god, this area has a long Christian history, as proven by the rich religious heritage. In his book “The Villages of the Šibenik District” don Krsto Stošić writes that in the late 13th century when the Šibenik diocese was established Tribunj (then called Jurjevgrad) belonged to the parish of Ivinj, which it separated from in 1460 to form a new parish.
The church of the visitation of the blessed virgin mary
The oldest church in the village, the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in Vrtli in 1435, and is now sometimes used to host exhibitions. Mass is celebrated only on 8 September, on the Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary. It is protected as a monument of culture.
The church of St.Nicholas
One of the most recognizable parts of Tribunj is the church of St Nicholas and its old cemetery located on a hill of the same name. The Schematism of the Šibenik diocese states that its building was initiated in 1452 by Šimun Šižgorić, but it seems that the works did not start until 1475 due to a lack of funds.
In the past it was used as a parish church, as stated in Običajnik Župne Cerkve S. Nikole u Tribunju, published in 1860 in Zadar. The path leading to the top of the hill has chapels used as stops on the Way of the Cross during the Lent.
Every year the feast of St Nicholas, the protector of the village and the Municipality, is marked by a mass. Thanks to the attractive location, more and more couples from all over Croatia get married in this little church. It is protected as a monument of culture.
The st mary church
Next to the peninsula’s rectory there is the St Mary church dating back to 1732 and restored 10 years ago. Today the Tribunj Cultural Association uses it to host plays, exhibitions and concerts.
The parish church of the assumption
The youngest of the churches is the parish church of the Assumption made of white stone and built from 1883- 1885. It is located at the foot of the Sv. Nikola hill, opposite the peninsula and protected as a monument of culture.