Udine (Udin in Friulian, Weiden in German, Videm in Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian, Utinum in medieval Latin, perhaps Vedinum in classical Latin) is an Italian town of 99 051 inhabitants of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, considered the historical capital of Friuli: former capital of the homonymous province, according to the regional law 26/2014 "Reorganization of the Region system - Local autonomies of Friuli Venezia Giulia" Udine is the seat of the UTI of "Friuli Centrale" of which it is part with the municipalities of Campoformido, Martignacco, Pagnacco, Pasian di Prato, Pavia di Udine, Pozzuolo del Friuli, Pradamano, Reana del Rojale, Tavagnacco and Tricesimo, with a total population of 172 259 inhabitants.
Pre-Roman toponym, G. Frau hypothesizes a formation from the root * oudh- / * udh- ʿmammellaʾ → ʿcolleʾ, followed by a suffix “not entirely clear”. Attestations: Udene (983), Utinum (latinization from Ud-; around 1000) other scholars derive the name from the cult for the undine nymphs who were venerated in this place in pre-Roman and Roman times. Another possible etymology is the derivation from the Lombard * Wotan, or another name of the God Odin, Father of the Gods. In fact, the Lombards, a population of Germanic origin, settled in this area around the sixth century. It is no coincidence that Cividale del Friuli was an important center of this population.
The new Limited Traffic Zone came into force on 1 September 2004. Some areas of the center were gradually closed with subsequent ordinances.
By plane
At Friuli Venezia Giulia - Ronchi dei Legionari Airport
(IATA: TRS), 40 km from the city, direct flights land from Milan, Rome,
Naples, Genoa, Turin, Paris-Beauvais, London, Munich and Belgrade, in
addition to seasonal flights to/from tourist destinations.
On the
train
There is an active Frecciargento connection with Rome and a
Frecciabianca connection with Milan, while regional trains to Udine
leave every hour from Venice and Trieste.
By car
A23 motorway,
Udine Sud and Udine Nord exits.
Parking lots
1 Magrini car
park, Via Magrini 3. Close to the city centre.
2 Park Piazza 1°
Maggio, Piazza 1° Maggio. Close to the city center.
The city of Udine retains, from an urban planning point of view, the
typical imprint of medieval cities. The city developed around the castle
hill, in the centre, expanding starting from the 10th century (there
were five subsequent city walls, up to the 15th century, with related
doors and gates).
Among the most famous monuments: the Castle
located on a hill overlooking the city, the Duomo, the Loggia del
Lionello, the Archbishop's Palace with frescoes by Tiepolo, Piazza
Libertà in Venetian style and Piazza Matteotti, which represents the
heart of the city together with via Mercatovecchio. As regards the
modern works, worth mentioning is the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine,
inaugurated in 1997, the project bears the signature of the engineer
Giuliano Parmegiani and the architect Lorenzo Giacomuzzi Moore.
Loggia del Lionello
Built in alternating bands of white and pink
stones, it overlooks the central Piazza Libertà (previously called
Contarena and "Vittorio Emanuele II"). It is a public loggia in Venetian
Gothic style, whose work began in 1448 by Bartolomeo delle Cisterne
based on a design by the goldsmith Nicolò Lionello and ended in 1457. In
the following centuries it underwent various modifications and,
following the disastrous fire that destroyed it in 1876, it was restored
by Andrea Scala who kept faith with the original designs. Most of the
works that were present inside are now preserved in the city museum.
Among these we remember the cycle of canvases of the Serenissima
Republic of Venice and the Madonna with child by Giovanni Antonio de'
Sacchis, dated 1516.
Loggia and temple of San Giovanni
Opposite
the Loggia del Lionello are the loggia and the small temple of San
Giovanni, built in 1533 by the Lombard architect Bernardino da Morcote.
Their construction entailed numerous problems, both on an urban planning
and practical level. The resulting work has a vague Brunelleschi
flavour. The church, formerly dedicated to St. John, is now used as a
shrine to the Fallen. Also in front of the Lionello loggia, stand the
statues of Hercules and Cacus, attributed to Angelo de Putti.
Incorporated in the loggia of San Giovanni, the tower was built in 1527
based on a design by Giovanni da Udine who was inspired by the Venetian
tower in Piazza San Marco. At its top there are the two Moors who strike
the hours on a bell, the current copper sculptures date back to 1852 and
have replaced the original wooden ones.
Arco Bollani and church of
Santa Maria in Castello
From Piazza Libertà you continue along the
climb to the Castle, where you then cross the Bollani arch, from 1556,
designed by Andrea Palladio and surmounted by the lion of San Marco. You
then walk along the Lippomano loggia, dated 1487. You then reach the
church of Santa Maria di Castello, the oldest in the city. The "Casa
della Confraternita", a medieval building restored in 1930, stands next
to the church of Santa Maria. Next to it stands the "Grimani arch"
erected in 1522 in honor of the doge of the same name, originally
located in via Portanuova and recomposed here in 1902, through the
Through the arch you reach the castle square.
The castle
The
imposing building dominates the hill and the entire city of Udine. Since
time immemorial, a fortified site has been present on the hill, as
evidenced by the Neolithic and Roman remains found on the castle hill.
After numerous renovations, the latter was seriously damaged in the
earthquake of 1511. On 2 October 1517 the reconstruction began, which
however took a long time due to lack of funds, the vastness and
complexity of the works. These were initially entrusted to Giovanni
Fontana, who however left the city, renouncing the position in 1519.
The sixteenth-century Roman appearance of the building, which makes it
more similar to a stately residence than to a military infrastructure,
is due to the intervention of Giovanni da Udine, who, starting from
1547, resumed and completed the construction site . Other internal
changes were made in the following centuries to enable it to be used for
the most varied uses: prison, barracks, municipal headquarters, etc. The
castle houses the hall of the Parliament of the Fatherland of Friuli
dating back to the 12th century and one of the oldest in Europe.
Farmers' House
On the grassy clearing at the top of the castle hill
stands the Casa della Contadinanza where the representatives of the
Friulian peasants, the third political body of the Friuli homeland,
resided. The one visible in the twenty-first century is the copy
recomposed here in 1931 of a building dating back to the 16th century
which was located between via Vittorio Veneto and via Rauscedo. The
building later housed the castle's armory and in subsequent times was
used as a place for tasting typical Friulian products.
Udine is the seat of the archbishop.
Metropolitan Cathedral of
Santa Maria Annunziata
Built starting from 1236 at the behest of
Patriarch Berthold of Andechs-Merania. The construction was completed in
a hundred years. Next to the Cathedral is the bell tower with the
baptistery, home to a small Cathedral Museum.
Sanctuary of the
Blessed Virgin of Graces
Church of Santa Maria di Castello
This is
the oldest church in Udine, dating back to the 12th century and located
on the castle hill.
Church of the Oratory of Purity
Located to the
right of the Cathedral, it was built in 1757 at the behest of Cardinal
Daniele Dolfin, who had the previous theater belonging to the Mantica
family purchased and demolished, so that there was no place for
entertainment near the city cathedral. The project was entrusted to Luca
Andreoli. Inside are frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son
Giandomenico.
Church of Sant'Antonio Abate
It was originally a
Gothic style building dating back to the 14th century, it was built at
the behest of Patriarch Nicholas of Luxembourg, and then transformed in
1733 with the facade designed by Giorgio Massari, it is located near
Piazza Patriarcato. Deconsecrated, it is used as an auditorium and hosts
exhibitions and exhibitions.
Inside there are the tombs of the last
four Patriarchs of Aquileia: Francesco Barbaro, Ermolao Barbaro, Daniele
Dolfin and Dionisio Dolfin.
Church of the Blessed Virgin of Carmine
Built by the Carmelite friars in the 16th century, you come across it
along Via Aquileia, inside is the sarcophagus of the Blessed Odorico da
Pordenone.
Church of the Madonna della Carità
Located at the
Filippo Renati Institute, dating back to 1762, it became the seat of the
Romanian Orthodox parish
Church of the Presentation of Mary in the
Temple
This church of the spinsters is part of the ancient boarding
school in via Zanon founded in 1595.
Church of the Redeemer
It
dates back to 1733; the façade, in neoclassical style, was built a
century later by the Friulian architect Giovanni Battista Bassi; it is
located in via Mantica.
Church of San Cristoforo, headquarters of the
United Romanian Mission in Rome "San Cristoforo" (since 2002/2003)
Here you can admire the beautiful portal in pure Renaissance style
sculpted in 1518 by the Lombard sculptor Bernardino da Bissone.
Church of San Francesco
The church was consecrated in 1266 and with
the adjacent convent constitutes the beginning of the penetration of the
order of Franciscan friars into the Patriarchate of Aquileia. The friars
were introduced by Patriarch Berthold of Andechs-Merania, a personal
friend of Saint Francis of Assisi. It is considered one of the most
beautiful churches in the city for its pure and simple Franciscan line.
Inside, consisting of a single nave ending in three apses,
fourteenth-century frescoes, very deteriorated, are visible; they
represent the oldest examples of painting in the city. The church
(deconsecrated) is used for temporary exhibitions, while the convent is
the seat of the Court.
Church of San Giacomo
Built in 1378 at
the behest of the "Confraternity of Furriers", initially as a chapel and
then enlarged, it is located in the ancient "Piazza delle Erbe", which
later became Piazza Matteotti, but better known as Piazza San Giacomo.
The current façade dates back to 1525 by Bernardino da Morcote, while
the side chapel was added after 1650. Next to it stands the "Chapel of
Souls" built in 1744 with a canvas by Michelangelo Grigoletti inside.
Church of San Giorgio
It was built starting in 1760, opened for
worship in 1780 and finished only in 1831 in Borgo Grazzano. Inside
there is an altarpiece from 1529 depicting Saint George killing the
dragon, the work of Sebastiano Florigerio.
Church of San Pietro
Martire
It is located in via Valvason, it was part of the ancient
thirteenth-century Dominican convent, it was consecrated in 1285, the
current building dates back to the nineteenth century; Of the original
construction only the Lombard portal and the bell tower remain. The
interior consists of a single room without naves and at the time was
decorated with numerous paintings. The church was sacked in 1797 by
French troops, who settled there for a certain period. The tombs of
noble figures are preserved, a painting by Pomponio Amalteo depicting
the Martyrdom of Saint Peter and some high reliefs by Giuseppe Torretti,
furthermore there are frescoes by Andrea Urbani.
Church of the
Holy Spirit
The original building, located in via Crispi, dates back
to 1395, and was then rebuilt to a design by Giorgio Massari in the 18th
century. It has an octagonal plan and preserves two canvases by the
eighteenth-century painter Francesco Zugno.
Church of San
Valentino
Dating back to 1574, it is located in via Pracchiuso, one
of the ancient villages of the city, where the festival dedicated to the
Saint takes place annually.
Church of Santa Maria della
Misericordia in the civil hospital
Built in 1959 to a design by
Giacomo Della Mea, the interior features mosaics by Fred Pittino,
bronzes by Giulio and Max Piccini and graffiti by Ernesto Mitri in the
pronaos.
Church of Santa Chiara
It is located in the Uccellis
Educandato, dating back to the 17th century, inside it features frescoes
by Giulio Quaglio.
Ossuary temple of the fallen of Italy
Built
between 1925 and 1936 at the behest of Msgr. Cossettini designed by
Provino Valle, with its mass dominates the square in front of XXVI
Luglio 1866, inside, according to tradition, 25,000 bodies of those who
fell during the First World War are preserved. In reality there are
21,874 bodies.
Church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo in Paderno
Church of
San Marco Evangelista in Chiavris
Church of Sant'Antonio di Padova in
Rizzi
Church of St. James the Apostle in Beivars
Manin Chapel
Eighteenth-century building from 1733 with a hexagonal plan in Baroque
style commissioned to Domenico Rossi by Count Lodovico Alvise Manin,
father of the future Doge Ludovico Manin. Inside, on the altar you can
admire a Madonna with baby Jesus, the work of Giuseppe Torretti. Also by
him are the high reliefs on the walls: Birth of the Virgin, Visitation,
Presentation of Jesus in the temple and Presentation of Mary as a child
in the temple.
Chapel of Santa Maria del Monte
Attached to the
Monte di Pietà palace, it houses works by Giulio Quaglio.
Patriarchal Palace
It is one of the most famous buildings in the
city, seat of the Archbishopric.
Palace of the Province
The
Antonini-Belgrade palace has been the seat of the Province since 1891,
it is located on the sides of the Archbishop's palace, it dates back to
the second half of the 17th century, in baroque style, inside it is
frescoed with historical and mythological scenes of particular value by
Giulio Quaglio .
Palazzo Antonini-Casa Grande
Former headquarters
of the Bank of Italy branch, now known as Palazzo Antonini-Maseri.
Antonini-Cernazai Palace
It was the first seat of the University of
Udine, now home to the faculty of literature and philosophy, and dates
back to the early 17th century.
Bartolini Palace
Built in the 17th
century in Piazza Marconi, it houses the Vincenzo Joppi Civic Library
city Hall
A typical example of Art Nouveau architecture of the 20th
century is the Palazzo del Comune or D'Aronco from the name of the
Friulian architect Raimondo D'Aronco who designed it. It was built
starting in 1911 on the site of a previous sixteenth-century building
and was completed in 1932.
Valvason-Morpurgo Palace
Located in via
Savorgnana, in neoclassical style it dates back to the 18th century and
in 1969 it was donated to the Municipality of Udine, it has a garden
with an adjoining loggia. After the restoration, it houses the "Project
Galleries" which display the architecture and design archives owned by
the Civic Museums; Furthermore, it is home to the Department of Tourism
and Culture and a tourist information point.
Cavazzini House
Historic building, located between Via Cavour and Via Savorgnana, in
front of the municipal headquarters in the historic centre. The subject
of a long restoration, completed in 2011, based on an original design by
Gae Aulenti, it is now home to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary
Art. The complex consists of the sixteenth-century Savorgnan flag palace
and the adjacent Cavazzini house (donated to the Municipality by the
family of the Udine merchant and philanthropist Dante Cavazzini). The
restorations have brought to light archaeological finds visible on the
ground floor through the glass floor: a 16th century Venetian
tank-cistern and a protohistoric pottery deposit dating back to the
first half of the Iron Age (second half of the 8th century BC), which
constitutes the oldest documented find on the site. In the Cavazzini
apartment there are also frescoes by Afro Basaldella, Mirko Basaldella
and Corrado Cagli; on the first floor of the Savorgnan della Bandiera
palace there are frescoes that can be dated to the second half of the
fourteenth century, pictorial evidence of profane subjects and of
considerable importance for the study of Gothic painting in the Friulian
area. In one of the two rooms where the frescoes were found, traces of a
decoration have been preserved depicting a curtain held up by
half-figure young girls and boys according to schemes inspired by the
iconography of sacred compositions. Judging by the decoration, the room
was perhaps used as an alcove: the young people in fact hold up the
curtains as if to protect the intimacy of the room. The decoration of
the adjacent room, however, should belong to a later period, with the
walls occupied entirely by geometric compartments and quadrangular
panels in fake marble with monstrous and fantastic figures derived from
the traditions of the medieval bestiary.
Palazzo Chizzola Mantica
Villa Veritti, designed by Carlo Scarpa.
House of Giovanni da Udine
Tina Modotti's birthplace, Via Pracchiuso 89
These are the main city buildings that host theatrical and
entertainment events.
Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine
municipal
theater Palamostre
San Giorgio theater
Menossi auditorium of
Sant'Osvaldo
auditorium A. Zanon
Tomadini auditorium
Since Udine is a former industrial city later converted to the
tertiary sector, there are numerous industrial archeology sites, above
all the site of the SAFAU steelworks in the southern part of the city
and the abandoned Dormisch - Birra Peroni factory. Other important sites
such as those of the Bertoli steelworks in the northern part of the city
and the Birra Moretti factory not far from the historic center have been
demolished for the construction of residential, office and commercial
subdivisions.
Friuli Stadium
Vincenzo Joppi Civic Library
Libraries of the Archdiocese of
Udine:
Archiepiscopal, it is a historical-conservative library and
has approximately 11,000 volumes
Bartoliniana, has over 10,000
volumes
del Seminario, a public library specializing in historical
and theological works, has approximately 90,000 volumes
Art library
of the civic museums, houses over 35,000 volumes, activated in the early
sixties and only since 1987 is it open to the public in the Udine Castle
headquarters, it does not lend but only consults.
Library of the
Friulian Museum of Natural History, has approximately 38,000 volumes
Library of the Friulian Institute for the history of the liberation
movement, has 35,000 volumes
Library of the Friulian Philological
Society "G. I. Ascoli", housed in the Palazzo Mantica headquarters in
via Manin, contains approximately 20,000 volumes divided into sections:
general, Dolomitic Ladin, Romansh, Catalan, Venezia Giulia, Friulian
language and culture. The library carries out both consultation and
lending services.
Library of the Jacopo Stellini classical high
school
Libraries of the University of Udine, the following libraries
are active:
Science
Economics and Law
Medicine
Cotton mill
area
Humanistic studies
Center for training and teaching
Florio
Library
The "Mario Quargnolo" media library, opened to the public in
2009, is housed in the Visionario multiplex cinema managed by the Centro
Espressioni Cinematografie and has around 2,500 volumes and around 3,000
DVDs.
The University of Udine was founded in 1978 as part of the
interventions for the reconstruction of Friuli following the 1976
earthquake.
The establishment of the university, in particular of
the faculties of medicine and teaching, had been requested since the
1950s: the Committee for the Friulian university, chaired by Tarcisio
Petracco, had collected 125,000 signatures in favor of the foundation of
the university.
Among its objectives, in addition to research and
training, common to all universities, is also that of "contributing to
the civil, social and economic progress of Friuli and of becoming an
organic instrument of development and renewal of the original strands of
culture, language, traditions and history of Friuli".
The
university promoted the establishment of several institutions:
Luigi
Danieli science and technology park in Udine, managed by the "Friuli
innovation" consortium,
"Techno Seed" ICT business incubator;
"InnovAction" innovation fair which has no longer been held since 2008
due to cuts by the Region.
The business projects presented by the
university also won the "National Innovation Award" in 2003, 2004 and
2006.
In 2004, thanks to the push of teachers who graduated from
the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, the Higher School of the
University of Udine, the institute of excellence of the Friulian
university, was founded.
In 2014 the Academy of Fine Arts of
Udine G.B. was founded. Tiepolo. The Academy offers various courses such
as Visual Arts, Web Communication, Design, Italian Language courses and
highly specialized courses in Artistic Tattoo.
Civic museums and galleries of history and art: since 1906 they have
been located in the Castle and are made up of the Archaeological Museum,
Gallery of Ancient Art, Gallery of Drawings and Prints, Friulian Museum
of Photography, Photo Library and Risorgimento Collections
Museum of
Modern and Contemporary Art: in the building of the same name, donated
to the Municipality by the merchant Dante Cavazzini and the subject of
careful restoration based on an original design by Gae Aulenti, since
2012 it has hosted works of Italian art from the end of the nineteenth
century to the present day (among the artists: Luigi Nono, Amedeo
Modigliani, Felice Casorati, Lucio Fontana and Giorgio Morandi), the
FRIAM collection (a series of works donated, on the occasion of the 1976
Friuli earthquake, by American artists) and the art collection of Maria
Luisa Astaldi.
Palazzo Giacomelli Ethnographic Museum of Friuli: set
up in the restored Palazzo Giacomelli in Borgo Grazzano, since 2010 it
has hosted objects and artefacts of traditional Friulian life and the
sacred, objects of daily life, clothing, masks, games, music and
entertainment .
Project Galleries: they are located in Palazzo
Morpurgo and preserve the architecture and design archives; the archives
of the architects Raimondo D'Aronco, Ottorino Aloisio, Pietro Zanini,
Marcello D'Olivo, Angelo Masieri and, for design, the Electrolux Zanussi
archive stand out in particular. The Galleries also host themed
exhibitions.
Udine Cathedral Museum
Diocesan museum and Tiepolo
galleries
Friulian Museum of Natural History
Friuli-Cormor
botanical park
Friulian Botanical Garden
The main fountains of Udine:
fountain by Giovanni Carrara from
Bergamo in Piazza Libertà
fountain in Piazza Matteotti
fountain of
the monument to the Resistance designed by Gino Valle
Piazza Duomo
Piazza Garibaldi, in ancient times and until 1866,
was called Piazza dei Barnabiti or Antonini.
Freedom Square
Piazza
Matteotti, called the new market in medieval times, later called Piazza
San Giacomo after the construction of the church of the same name in
1399, a name which it popularly retains in the twenty-first century.
Piazza I Maggio, also known as the large garden, was called the parade
ground in 1866 and in 1900 it was named, although unofficially, after
Umberto I following his death. The date of today's dedication refers to
the year 1945, in which Udine was liberated from Nazi occupation with
the arrival of the Allied troops in the city.
Piazza Venerio,
formerly known as the icebox square and then plazze dai lens or wood
square which was sold there. The current square was occupied by the
palace of the noble Savorgnan family which in 1549, on the orders of the
Venetians, was razed to the ground following the conviction for murder
of Girolamo Savorgnan, and was therefore popularly nicknamed the square
of ruin.
Piazza XX Settembre, also called Piazza dei Grani, was
previously occupied by some buildings of the della Torre family which
were then demolished in 1717 by the government of the Republic of
Venice, it was then called Piazza dei Torriani, in 1868 it was acquired
by the municipality. Since 2011 it has been home to the market which
moved from Piazza Matteotti.
Piazzale Cella
Piazzale Chiavris
Piazzale Gabriele D'Annunzio
Piazzale Paolo Diacono
Piazzale
Guglielmo Oberdan
Piazzale Osoppo
Piazzale XXVI Luglio 1866, the
date refers to the arrival of Italian troops in the city and the end of
Austrian rule.
In the city of Udine there remain traces or information of five circles of walls surrounding the urban centre, built over almost five hundred years (between the 11th and 15th centuries). Even older was the embankment of the castle, dating back to the Bronze Age.
Of the six canals that crossed it in the Middle Ages, the Udine canal
and the Palma canal have survived. They are documented (for the
concession of use of the mills) in 1217 for the canal of Udine, and in
1171 for that of Palma. It was precisely the study of the jumps of the
city canals that allowed Arturo Malignani to become a pioneer in the
study of hydroelectric power plants.
Udine is also bordered, to
the west, by the Ledra-Tagliamento Canal, which is connected to the two
canals by the San Gottardo Canal.
Parks
Cormôr Park: rises along the stream of the same name, and
also extends into the municipalities of Martignacco, Campoformido and
Pozzuolo del Friuli. The park includes two areas, the one to the north
near the fair has a surface area of 258,765 m², the area to the south
near Viale Venezia has a surface area of 66,759 m².
Parco del Torre:
rises along the stream of the same name, and also develops in the
municipality of Remanzacco, covering an area of 69478 m².
"Moretti"
urban park (formerly "Alfredo Foni park"): located in the area once
occupied by the demolished Moretti stadium near Viale Venezia, it covers
an area of 66,900 m².
"Ardito Desio" urban park: located near the
Friuli Stadium and occupies an area of 28733 m².
Historic gardens
Parco della Rimembranza: it is one of the historic gardens of the city,
it runs along the entire length of via Diaz, from viale della Vittoria
to viale Trieste, occupying an area of 17044 m².
Loris Fortuna
Garden: small park of 5765 m²5765 next to the central Piazza I Maggio.
Giardin Grande green area: occupies the central part of Piazza I Maggio
with a surface area of 19406 m².
Green area of the Castle square:
located on the top of the Castle hill with a surface area of 4478 m².
Giardini del Torso: located next to the building of the same name in Via
del Sale on a surface area of 1261 m², they were used in the past for
outdoor cinema screenings during the summer.
Ricasoli Garden: it is
located near Piazza Patriarcato with a surface area of 1002 m², here the
equestrian monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II previously located
in Piazza Libertà was placed. It is crossed by the Palma canal.
Giardino Giovanni Pascoli: located in the area of via Carducci and via
Dante on 992 m².
Green areas
Ilaria Alpi green area: park
equipped with tennis court, basketball court and games for children on
7523 m² in via Melegnano.
Lord Baden Powell green area: adjacent to
the historic centre, equipped with children's games on 4538 m².
Ambrosoli green area: located near the Liceo Classico on 5633 m².
McBride green area: located near the Palamostre on 9490 m².
Umberto
Saba green area: located in via Joppi on 12102 m².
Marchiol green
area: located in the Baldasseria area on 9700 m².
Salgari green area:
located in via Del Bon on 9000 m².
Marcello D'Olivo green area:
located in viale Afro on 9228 m².
Cesare Scoccimarro green area:
located in the San Gottardo area on 10860 m².
Giacomo Della Mea green
area: located in the Viale dello Sport area on 10620 m².
Robin Hood
green area: located in the Paparotti area on 5500 m².
Other smaller
green areas arise in every city neighborhood.
Friulian cuisine is characterized by substantial dishes such as
polenta, frico, soups and minestrone, products from the slaughter of
pigs, brovada and musetto, omelettes, especially with local herbs, game,
generally accompanied by wine white (blanc taj) or red (black taj).
Given the proximity and ease with which Slovenia can be reached
(half an hour from Udine), traditional Slavic dishes have been
introduced into the local cuisine, in particular goulash and ćevapčići,
accompanied by polenta, and finally local products such as ham of San
Daniele, trout and asparagus. The influence of Gorizia cuisine (potatoes
in the pan) is relative. However, the influence of Trieste cuisine on
that of Udine is marginal, surviving almost exclusively in the offering
of jota and boiled meats (cragno and porcina).
The production of
cheeses is important, in particular Montasio (in the past called dairy),
the main ingredient of frico, and cured meats, including San Daniele
ham, salami, soppressa, lard, tongue, cooked ham in the bread. The bread
has the characteristic shape of a double croissant. The dishes of Udine
cuisine can be found in the surviving Udine taverns.
Among the
desserts, typical are gubana and strucchi, crostoli during the carnival
period and favette among the Sweets of the Dead.
The main wines
of local production are, among the great Friulian whites, Friulano,
Ramandolo, Verduzzo, Ribolla (Pinot, Picolit grape varieties), and among
the reds, Merlot, Cabernet, (Refosco grape variety). The range of
grappas is also noteworthy.
The cuisine of Udine, as well as in
the taverns and trattorias of the city walls, can be found at festivals.
In Borgo Grazzano, the frog festival (crots) is typical. For several
years Friuli Doc has been an important showcase dedicated to local
cuisine. Some dishes are prepared for special occasions. This is the
case of tripe, prepared in broth or stew (Christmas Eve), herring with
onion on Ash Wednesday, mulled wine on Epiphany day.
Polenta deserves a separate chapter, the main dish in the diet of the
poorest families of Friulians and Udine for at least one hundred years,
from the mid-nineteenth century to the Second World War.
The
Jacini investigation into the living conditions of the Italian
agricultural population (1881-1886) recognizes how corn polenta at the
time of unification was the only food accessible to the majority of
Friulian peasant families. The great prevalence of the use of maize over
other foods originated from the destruction of potato crops due to the
downy mildew fungus around 1850 and the phylloxera infection of the
vine, as well as from the general agrarian crisis. The poor diet based
on polenta could cause pellagra due to avitaminosis. Prepared in the
copper cjalderie (kettle) on the fogolâr (fireplace), cornmeal cooked in
water served as breakfast, lunch and dinner for peasant families.
Polenta, unlike pasta, does not lend itself to many variations in
cooking. Where pasta can be boiled and seasoned, but also filled, or
baked in the form of a pie, added to soups, and even added to omelettes,
polenta is not very versatile, and can only be served cooked in the
cauldron or at most messed up , or prepared in layers with ragù or
mushrooms. With the change in the living conditions of the population
and the entry of women into the world of work, it has become a dish that
is much more limited in consumption due to the cooking times required
which consist of at least 45 minutes. Replaced by bread and pasta, it
has become above all an accompaniment for stews, goulash and game
dishes, essentially a winter and even festive dish, or it is served
sliced at festivals, always with different accompaniments.
Events of the Udine leads to the East cycle:
Calendidonna (March),
festival of women's literature, arts and sciences.
Far East Film
Festival (April), since 1997 Udine has hosted one of the most important
world showcases dedicated to Asian cinema. Organized by the Centro
Espressioni Cinematografie, it takes place every year between April and
May at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine and in the cinemas Visionario.
Vicino/Lontano - Terzani Prize (May), cultural event on the theme of
identities and differences which has taken place since 2005 from
Thursday to Sunday with debates and thematic conferences involving the
participation of philosophers, writers, journalists and scholars. During
the event on Saturday evening at the Giovanni da Udine Theater the
international literary prize named after the journalist and writer
Tiziano Terzani is awarded. The meetings, in the first editions took
place at the deconsecrated church of San Francesco and at the former
fish market, in 2008 they were concentrated in the Piazza Libertà area:
in the Ajace room of the loggia and in a tent specially set up on the
dirt road of the square .
Palio Teatrale Studentesco (April) is a
theater festival that has involved high school students in Udine every
year for over 40 years.
City of Udine Marathon (September)
International Guitar Festival (June), takes place in the Parliament Hall
at the Castle
Free Cormor Rock (June), a musical and sporting event
held in the Cormor park
Udine Pedala (June), is a non-competitive
cycle ride held annually and open to all. The event is particularly
famous for having twice entered the Guinness Book of Records with the
record number of participants, the first time in 1999 when 33,000
participants showed up at the start. The following year, 2000, 48,015
people took part in the race, thus beating the previous record. In 2006
it changed its name to UdinBike.
Udinsummer (June-August)
Udin&Jazz (June), a music festival now in its eighteenth edition (2008)
in which artists such as Archie Shepp, Pat Metheny, Robert Fripp, B.B.
took part. King, Equality, Quintorigo, Dionne Warwick.
Friuli and
Eastern Alps Rally (August)
Friuli doc (September), is a food and
wine event that has been held since 1995 in the main squares and streets
of the historic city center where stands and refreshment points are set
up. The event takes place over four days, from Thursday to Sunday and
has as its motto wines, food, events, views. The most successful edition
to date (2007) saw the presence of over one million two hundred thousand
visitors.
Thanks to the presence of the Friuli Stadium, Udine often
hosts important musical events at a national and international level. In
the summer of 2009, three important concerts were held which saw the
presence of approximately 120,000 spectators.
HomePage Festival,
annual music festival
White black
Knowledge in celebration
Capital of the historic region of Friuli, it has been inhabited
since the Neolithic age, a period to which the remains of an ancient
Castelliere that developed around the castle hill about 3500 years
ago date back. Despite recent archaeological finds dating back to
the 1st century BC. testify to its existence even in Roman times,
the city of Udine increased its importance thanks to the decline of
Aquileia first and then Cividale.
Mentioned on the occasion
of the donation of the city castle by Emperor Otto II in 983 with
the name of Udene, from 1222 it became one of the residences of the
Patriarchs of Aquileia, thanks to the Patriarch Bertoldo di Andechs
who moved from Cividale to Udine following an earthquake that
damaged his residence (December 25). Due to its centrality it was
increasingly preferred by the Patriarchs, who later had the
patriarchal palace built there. In the fourteenth century Udine
became the most important city in the region for trade and traffic
to the detriment of Aquileia and Cividale del Friuli. On 7 June
1420, following the war between Venice and the Patriarchate of
Aquileia, the city was conquered by the Venetian troops, marking the
fall and the end of the temporal power of the Patriarchs. Noble
Friulian family of reference on behalf of the serenissima in the
city that of the Savorgnan whose family coat of arms becomes, in
fact, that of the city.
The civil war of 1511
The city of
Udine was affected, starting from February 27, 1511, by a civil war
that went down in history with the name of cruel fat zoiba which
turned out to be bloody and soon spread to all of Friuli. To
aggravate the conditions of the population was, in the days
immediately following, a violent earthquake following which numerous
fires and the collapse of the city castle developed. Last but not
least, the plague then came to make the situation even worse. Linked
to the Zoiba Grassa is the Friulian origin of Romeo and Juliet, two
young people, Lucina and Luigi, belonging to the rival families of
the Savorgnan and Da Porto.
From Venetian rule to the First
World War
Under the dominion of the Republic of Venice from 1420
to 1797, Udine became the fifth city of the Republic in terms of
importance and population and was so until the end of the 18th
century. With the fall of the Republic of Venice, Udine becomes
French due to the Napoleonic campaigns. Following the Restoration,
Udine saw the transition to the Lombard-Veneto Kingdom, which was
placed under the sovereignty of the then Austrian Empire.
In
1848, during the First War of Independence, the city rose up against
the Austrians together with the rest of Friuli. A Provisional
Government was created in Palmanova under the leadership of General
Carlo Zucchi. The Habsburg army took Palmanova, set fire to many
neighboring towns, and finally bombed Udine, which capitulated.
These events were passionately told by the writer Caterina Percoto,
an eyewitness to the facts. In 1866, there was the annexation to the
Kingdom of Italy.
From the First World War to the end of the
twentieth century
During the First World War Udine was, until the
defeat of Caporetto, the seat of the high Italian military supreme
command, so much so that it received the nickname of "war capital".
From 17 August 1915 it was also the seat of the 2nd Group (later 2nd
Flying Group). The psychiatric hospital of Sant'Osvaldo, a few
kilometers from the military command of war operations, had been
transformed in 1916 into a military hospital. The mentally ill were
transferred to other Italian hospitals but the hospital still housed
a thousand patients, some of them military.
An ammunition depot was set up right near the hospital. On 27
August 1917 at 11.00 am the ammunition depot exploded, causing a
disaster for which the exact number of civilian and military victims
was never recognized and which caused the complete destruction of
the houses of a very large area, of the church of Sant'Osvaldo and
the Sant'Osvaldo kindergarten. The disaster, probably caused by the
underestimation of the danger of ammunition and gas storage by the
Italian military, went under censorship by the military authorities,
moreover in those months present in the city to direct the war, and
is remembered by the people of Udine with the name of "explosion of
Sant'Osvaldo" or "the powder magazine of Sant'Osvaldo". Less than
two months later followed the Defeat of Caporetto, on 24 October
1917.
In the first postwar period the city became the capital
of the Province of Friuli, which included the then province of
Gorizia (until 1927), and the current provinces of Pordenone (until
1968) and Udine. After 8 September 1943 it was placed under the
direct military administration of the III Reich in the area of
operations of the Adriatic coast which ended with the end of the
German occupation in April 1945. On 6 May 1976 the city was hit
disastrous earthquake in Friuli. Although the number of victims was
not high in Udine, the Municipality and the citizens contributed
substantially to the reconstruction, organizing aid to the affected
population. Following the disastrous earthquake, Giuseppe
Zamberletti was appointed commissioner for civil protection by the
Italian government. On that occasion a modern and organized Italian
Civil Protection was born.
The years of lead also hit the
city. In 1978 Marshal Antonio Santoro was the victim.
The city is located in the center of the historic
Friuli region. It is, as the crow flies, just over 20 km from
Slovenia, and about 54 km from Austria. This places it in a
strategic position, at the intersection of the European east-west
(Corridor V or Mediterranean) and north-south (Via Iulia Augusta,
now recognized by the European Union as part of the Baltic-Adriatic
Corridor), on the leading to Austria and Eastern Europe.
It
rises in the high plain, around an isolated hill (according to the
legend built by Attila to admire the fire that he himself caused in
the city of Aquileia, but in reality it is formed by conglomeratic
rocks more than 100,000 years old), on top of the which is located
the castle, a few kilometers from the hills, and is bordered by the
Cormor stream to the west and the Torre stream to the east.
The climate of Udine is mainly temperate continental,
with quite high temperatures in summer and relatively rigid in
winter, but with less continentality than the cities of the central
and western Po Valley. Winter is the least rainy season, while in
summer thunderstorms are frequent, even accompanied by strong hail.
Overall, it appears to be one of the wettest provincial capitals in
Italy. Udine is however one of the least snowy areas of the northern
plains, with about 10 cm of annual snowfall. The decrease compared
to the first decades of the last century, however, is less than in
many cities in the North-West of Italy (13 cm the average in Udine
in 1910, Turin instead lost a good 28 cm of snow, going from 55 to
27). After the decade 1991-2000, with a very low average snowfall (4
cm), the current decade shows a moderate increase (average of 12
cm), thanks to the heavy snowfalls of 2005 and 2010. The heaviest
snowfall since January 1985 (30 cm accumulation) were:
January 1987 (40 cm)
December 31, 1996 (10 cm)
February 21,
2005 (8 cm)
March 3, 2005 (15 cm)
December 29, 2005 (20-25 cm)
December 17, 2010 (10-15cm).
The accumulations from north to
south of the city are often different: in fact, towards the north
there is less wind disturbance and often greater exposure to SW
currents, true proponents of the rare snowfalls in Udine. The
classic snow configuration for Udine is the formation of a minimum
depression in the Ligurian gulf and its translation towards the gulf
of Venice, with the simultaneous formation of an eyeglass minimum.
The exception to the rules was January '85, where a cold pillow
formed with the extraordinary temperatures of the past days (cold
record with -14.8 ° C) resisted the sirocco winds (not too strong
however).
Although in the nineties there was a progressive depopulation of the municipality of Udine in favor of the surrounding municipalities, the demographic trend in the last decade is still positive thanks to the immigration of foreign citizens. The demographic trend of Udine and the surrounding area as a whole is therefore constantly growing. In February 2012 Udine once again exceeded 100,000 inhabitants, before returning to 99,180 in 2019.
Of the four provincial capitals of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region,
as of 31 December 2019 Udine had the second highest percentage of
foreign residents: 13,880 presences or 14.0% of the total population,
higher than the regional average of 9.2%.
Romania, 2 642 (19.0%)
Albania, 1 677 (12.1%)
Ukraine, 1 187 (8.6%)
Ghana, 761 (5.5%)
Serbia, 628 (4.5%)
China, 574 (4.1%)
Nigeria, 560 (4.0%)
Kosovo, 511 (3.7%)
Philippines, 443 (3.2%)
Morocco, 433 (3.1%)
In Udine, alongside the Italian language, the population uses the
Friulian language. Pursuant to Resolution no. 2680 of 3 August 2001 of
the Council of the autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the city
is included in the territorial scope of protection of the Friulian
language for the purposes of the application of law 482/99, of regional
law 15/96 and of regional law 29/ 2007.
The Friulian language spoken
in Udine is one of the variants belonging to Central Friulian.
In the
city center there is also a Venetian dialect, Udine, protected by the
Regional Law. no. 5 of 17 February 2010, legacy of the times of
domination of the city by the Republic of Venice. Initially widespread
among the wealthy and bourgeois classes of the city and used as a symbol
of the high social status, once the domination of the Serenissima ended,
Udine experienced a phase of expansion in the nineteenth century and
also spread to the popular level thanks to his affinity with the Italian
language. The literary testimonies of the Udine dialect are reduced to a
minimum, but we must certainly remember the Udine writer and journalist
Renzo Valente who wrote a series of autobiographical articles on the
life of the city representing (with fine sensitivity and a subtle streak
of humour) the way of speaking and to live from the Udine bourgeoisie.
Curiosity: the Friulian greeting "Mandi" was used by the comedian
and cabaret artist Marco Milano to give the name to his character "Mandi
Mandi", an original Friulian journalist who connected from Udine during
the program Mai dire Gol.
Some offices and departments of the Autonomous Region of
Friuli-Venezia Giulia are located in Udine, housed in the new Region
building in via Sabbadini. The city is home to the "Julia" Alpine
Brigade command.
The hospital facilities in the city are:
"Santa Maria della Misericordia" University Hospital, with approximately
1400 beds
"Gervasutta" Institute of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation, equipped with approximately 100 beds
City of Udine
nursing home, private hospital affiliated with the regional health
system
Various bodies, institutions and associations of various types
are based in Udine, including:
Friulian Philological Society, main
regional institute for the study, valorisation and promotion of the
Friulian language and culture, recognized by the Autonomous Region and
the Ministry for Cultural Heritage, founded in Gorizia in 1919;
Udine
Sipario Cultural Association is a non-profit association established in
1996 which deals with the organization of numerous important cultural
activities in the city and has given constant support to existing
theater institutions in the area.
Vicino-Lontano Association, is a
cultural association established in 2004, which organizes the "Tiziano
Terzani International Literary Award" every year.
International
Center for Mechanical Sciences, based in Piazza Garibaldi at Palazzo
Mangilli-Del Torso, was established in 1968.
Deputation of Homeland
History for Friuli, with headquarters in via Manin, was established in
1918 in order to « [...] collect and publish, through the press,
studies, histories, chronicles, statutes and diplomatic documents and
other papers that are particularly important for the civil, military,
legal, economic and artistic history of Friuli".
Ente Friuli nel
Mondo, with headquarters in via del Sale, was founded in 1953 to assist
Friulians abroad and to coordinate the activities of the Fogolârs
Furlans. It publishes a monthly magazine, Friuli nel mondo, which
exceeds 25,000 copies distributed in 78 countries. The organisation's
activities are informative, connecting and maintaining the Friulian
identity, especially among the new generations.
The Friulian
Institute for the History of the Liberation Movement, based in Viale
Unità, was established in 1970.
The municipality has an extension of 55.81 km² and has an altitude of
113 m above sea level.
Pact for the Udinese Urban System
On 30
January 2009 the pact for the Udinese Urban System was signed in Udine
between the Municipalities of Udine, Campoformido, Martignacco,
Tavagnacco, Pasian di Prato, Pradamano, Tricesimo, Pozzuolo del Friuli,
Pavia di Udine, Remanzacco, Pagnacco and Povoletto, with the aim of
promoting cooperation at supra-municipal level in the fields of
environment, mobility and planning.
Since the existence of the constituencies, the localities have been considered as city districts. Some of them are peripheral to the historic centre, such as Cussignacco, Laipacco, Paparotti, Paderno, others are just outside, such as Chiavris, an area surrounding a roundabout in the middle of the city, for which the term locality is now completely misleading. In general, there are still few places that are not conurbed within the city, and there are even fewer that retain a defined town identity. Among these we can remember Beivars, Godia, which is located about 6 km north-east from the city center, and San Bernardo which is also located in the extreme north-eastern outskirts of the municipality of Udine and borders the borders of the municipalities of Reana del Rojale and Povoletto.
Baldasseria, Beivârs, Casali Sartori, Chiavris, Cormôr, Cussignacco,
Gervasutta, Godia, Laipacco, Molin Nuovo, Paderno, Paparotti, Rizzi, San
Bernardo, San Domenico, San Gottardo, Sant'Osvaldo, San Paolo, San
Rocco, Sant'Ulderico , Vât, Village of the Sun.
Administrative
subdivision
Udine is administratively divided into seven districts
which include city districts. Until 2008 they had their own directly
elected administrative bodies, with the entry into force of the new
financial law these representative bodies were abolished and replaced by
a municipal councilor who acts as district representative.