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Udine
The city of Udine stands in the center of Friuli Venezia
Giulia near a wide-ranging and pleasant arch of glacial hills on the way
that connects Southern to North-Eastern Europe.
The name of Udine was
recorded for the first time in 983 when the Imperator Ottone II of Germany
gave the castle of Udine to Rodoaldo, the Patriarch of Aquileia, together
with those of Buga, Fuganea, Groang and Braitan.
It is only in 1096 that "Castrum Utini" is
mentioned for the first time in an official document when Imperator Ottone
II gave the castle of Udine and some other places to the Patriarch of
Aquileia. In 1223 Patriarch Bertoldo of Andechs-Merania accorded to the city
of Udine the right for marketing so the little village became a city.
During the XII and XIV centuries Udine had a
very important expansion, but only in 1420 it changed thoroughly: in fact it
was annexed to the Republic of Venezia together with all the Friuli area.
The
city was then subjected to many Turkish raids (from 1472 to 1499) and to two
great wars: the first one between the Republic of Venice and Imperator
Maximilian (1508-1514) and the second between Venetians and Imperials (the
war of Gradisca 1615-1617).
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In 1797 Napoleonic troops invaded Friuli and it
became part of Austrian territories as a consequence of the Campoformido's
Treaty. On 2nd October 1866 the province of Udine was annexed to the Italian
Kingdom. During World War I (1915-1918) Udine was the seat of the general
headquarters of the Italian army. In 1963 the city and its province formed
together with Trieste, Gorizia e Pordenone the Indipendent Region of Friuli
Venezia Giulia with Special Statute.
Udine is a lively and dynamic art
city which rises right in the heart of Friuli, midway
between the sea and the mountains; this is a man-sized city
which concentrates in itself culture, history and eno-gastronomy,
and modernity enriches a tradition which is well-rooted on
the territory. An ideal starting point for a visit to the city
of Udine is the
Castle, built at the end of the XVI century
and seat of the Civic Museums and the Art and History
Galleries, which host several collections of works by
Tiepolo and Modigliani. The Castle overlooks the magnificent
Piazza della Libertà, repeatedly said to be
“ the most beautiful Venetian square on the mainland”, whose
most important element is the elegant Loggia del
Lionello, a splendid example of Venetian Gothic
style; opposite you will see the Renaissance loggia
di San Giovanni, a portico which incorporates the
Clock Tower,
under
which, in ancient times, the main gate to the Castle used to
open.
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Walking along via Mercatovecchio, with its
suggestive historical buildings and elegant and modern
shops, you enter the beating heart of Udine:
piazza Matteotti, known also as piazza San Giacomo
or Mercato Nuovo, an extremely busy place where the
fountain designed by Giovanni da Udine in 1543, has
been placed.
Through via delle Erbe and via Savorgnana you will reach the
square with the Duomo, where you will
admire the majestic sacred building named after the Holy
Mary, which contains sculptures and valuable frescoes, right
next to the point of departure of this itinerary.
For information:
Agenzia di informazione e accoglienza turistica di Udine
piazza I Maggio 7, 33100 Udine
tel. 0432 295972 fax 0432 504743
info@udine-turismo.it
Courtesy of
Turismo Friuli Venezia Giulia
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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