Tourism Udine - Italy

Udine: Tourism information Udine

Udine (Friulian Udin, Slovene Videm, Latin Utinum) is a city in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps (Alpi Carniche), less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 97,880 in 2007, 171,000 with the urban area.

Udine history

Udine is the historical capital of Friuli. The area was inhabited since the Neolithic age, and was later, most likely, settled by Celts[1]. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area increased of importance after the decline of Aquileia and afterwards of Cividale also. In 983 AD Udine is mentioned for the first time, with it the donation of the Utinum castle by emperor Otto II to the Patriarchs of Aquileia, then the main feudal lords of the region. In 1223, with the foundation of the market, the city became finally the most important in the area for economy and trades, and also became the Patriarch's seat.
In 1420 it was conquered by the Republic of Venice. In 1511 it was the seat of a short civil war, which was followed by an earthquake and a plague. Udine remained under Venetian control until 1797, being the second largest in the state. After the short French domination which ensued, it was part of the Austrian-puppet Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom, and was included in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
During World War I, after the defeat in the battle of Caporetto, Udine became the seat of the Italian High Command and was nicknamed "Capitale della Guerra" ("War Capital"). After the war it was made capital of a short-lived province (Provincia del Friuli) which included the current provinces of Gorizia, Pordenone and Udine. After September 8, 1943, in which Italy surrendered to the Allies in World War II, the city was under direct German administration, which ceased in the April 1945.

Udine: Main sights

The old residence of the patriarchs of Aquileia was erected by Giovanni Fontana in 1517 in place of the older one destroyed by an earthquake in 1511. Under the Austrians it was used as a prison. In the cathedral archives was formerly preserved a recast of the Visigothic code of laws in a manuscript known as the Codex Utinensis, which was fortunately printed before it was lost. (See Breviary of Alaric).
In the 1550s Andrea Palladio erected some buildings in Udine. The church of Santa Maria della Purità has 18th-century frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Domenico.
The church dedicated to St. Mary of the Castle is probably the oldest in Udine, judging from extant fragments dating back to the Lombard era. It lost its parish status in 1263, when it was annexed to the larger parish of Saint'Odorico (now the Cathedral). It has been renovated many times over the centuries: the façade, for example, was entirely rebuilt after the catastrophic earthquake of 1511. Its three naves preserve the suggestive atmosphere of silence and contemplation, which is often found in old churches. The Venetian Governor, Tommaso Lippomano, commissioned the Venetian Gothic portico with steps and ramps leading down the hill in 1487.
In the principal square (Piazza della Libertà) stands the town hall (Loggia del Lionello) built in 1448-1457 in the Venetian-Gothic style opposite a clock tower (Torre dell’Orologio) resembling that of the Piazza San Marco at Venice. It was begun in 1448 on a project by Nicolò Lionello, a local goldsmith, and was rebuilt following a fire in 1876. The new design was projected by the architect Andrea Scala.
Opposite the Loggia del Lionello is the Loggia di San Giovanni, a Renaissance structure designed by Bernardino da Morcote. Other noteworthy monuments in the square are the Fountain by Giovanni Carrara, an architect from Bergamo (1542); the Columns bearing the Venetian Lion and the Statue of Justice (1614), the statues of Hercules and Cacus and the Statue of Peace (1819) which was donated to Udine by Emperor Francis I to commemorate the peace Treaty of Campoformido

The Cathedral of Udine is an imposing edifice whose construction started in 1236, on a Latin cross-shaped plan with three naves and chapels along the sides. The church was consecrated in 1335 as Santa Maria Maggiore. At the beginning of th 18th century a radical transformation project involving both the exterior and the interior was undertaken at the request and expense of the Manin family. The Baroque interior has monumental dimensions and contains many works of art by Tiepolo, Amalteo, and Ludovico Dorigny. On the ground floor of the bell tower (built from 1441 over the ancient baptistry) is a chapel which is completely adorned with frescoes by Vitale da Bologna (1349).
The center of Udine is dominated by the Castle, built by the Venetians from 1517 over a Lombard fortification ruined by an earthquake in 1511. The current Renaissance appearance dates from the intervention of Giovanni da Udine, who finished the works starting from 1547. The castle houses one of the most ancient Parliament Halls of Europe.

Udine: Culture

Udine has a university, the Università degli studi di Udine. The archbishop's palace and the Museo Civico have quite important paintings. The city has a theater, the Teatro Giovanni da Udine.
Important festivals include the wine-and-food September festival, Friuli D.O.C., and the biggest European festival of popular East Asian cinema, the Far East Film Festival, in April.
The asteroid (33100) Udine was named in honor of the city.
Along with Italian, Friulian is usually spoken in Udine, as well as a variant of the Venetian (called venetin) that is however in decline.

Udine localities:
Amaro Ampezzo AQUILEIA Arta Terme Artegna Attimis Bagnaria Arsa Basiliano Bertiolo Bicinicco Bordano BUIA BUTTRIO Camino Al Tagliamento Campoformido Campolongo Al Torre Carlino Cassacco Castions Di Strada Cavazzo Carnico Cercivento CERVIGNANO DEL FRIULI Chiopris Viscone Chiusaforte CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI Codroipo Colloredo Di Monte Albano Comeglians CORNO DI ROSAZZO Coseano Dignano Dogna Drenchia Enemonzo FAEDIS Fagagna Fiumicello Flaibano Forgaria Nel Friuli Forni Avoltri Forni Di Sopra Forni Di Sotto Gemona Del Friuli Gonars Grimacco Latisana Lauco Lestizza Lignano Sabbiadoro Ligosullo Lusevera Magnano In Riviera Majano Malborghetto Valbruna Marano Lagunare Martignacco Mereto Di Tomba Moggio Udinese Moimacco Montenars Mortegliano MORUZZO Muzzana Del Turgnano Nimis Osoppo Ovaro Pagnacco PALAZZOLO DELLO STELLA Palmanova Paluzza Pasian Di Prato Paularo Pavia Di Udine Pocenia Pontebba Porpetto Povoletto Pozzuolo Del Friuli Pradamano Prato Carnico Precenicco Premariacco Preone Prepotto Pulfero Ragogna Ravascletto Raveo Reana Del Roiale REMANZACCO Resia Resiutta Rigolato Rive D''arcano Rivignano Ronchis Ruda San Daniele Del Friuli San Giorgio Di Nogaro San Giovanni Al Natisone San Leonardo San Pietro Al Natisone San Vito Al Torre San Vito Di Fagagna Santa Maria La Longa Sauris Savogna Sedegliano Socchieve Stregna Sutrio Taipana Talmassons Tapogliano TARCENTO Tarvisio Tavagnacco Teor Terzo Di Aquileia Tolmezzo Torreano Torviscosa Trasaghis Treppo Carnico Treppo Grande Tricesimo Trivignano Udinese UDINE Varmo Venzone Verzegnis Villa Santina Villa Vicentina Visco Zuglio

Part of the information regarding the history, the art, the traditions and the events of the province of present Udine on this page is drawn from the situated one www.wikipedia.org respecting the GNU Free Documentation License.