Articles

A town rich in bookshops and taverns, with a mysterious name and several diverse looks, Udine is at the same time rustic and refined, convivial and cultivated. The capital of the medieval government of the Patriarchs of Aquileia, Udine has more ancient origins, whose history is confounded with the popular legend about the hill overlooking the town, which is said to have been built by Attila.  The most charming square is Piazza Libertà, a brilliant example of a Venetian square overlooked by a clock tower, the Renaissance portico of San Giovanni, the Loggia del Lionello from the 1400s and an abundance of statues. Not far from it stands the Cathedral, the most important and imposing church in town. A nice walk through medieval streets and picturesque canals will lead you to Piazza Matteotti, the town’s most lively square, surrounded by arcades on all four sides, where the residents love to stop for a coffee or an aperitif, which they call tajut in the local language. Lying at the centre of a region counting 8 DOC and 3 DOCG winemaking areas, producing an aggregate of 80 million bottles of wine yearly, Udine cannot but honour this long winemaking tradition with innumerable historic taverns, where both local food and wines are served. A real pride for the town is Casa Cavazzini, the elegant seat of the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, home to remarkable works of art, including the works of the three brothers Dino, Mirko and Afro Basaldella, who were born in Udine and ranked as leading artists in the Italian and international panorama in the 1900s. If you wish to learn more about the rustic, archaic and mysterious civilization of Friuli extensively described by CARLO SGORLON, don’t miss a visit to the Museo etnografico del Friuli housed in Palazzo Giacomelli. In the suburbs of Udine CARLO SGORLON set his novel “La contrada”, where Udine, though never explicitly mentioned, is clearly identified in his description of a town crossed by canals, scattered with decaying noble residences and teeming with industrious craftsmen.