Things to do in Udine
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Oratorio della Purità
The Oratorio della Purità has a beautiful ceiling painting of the Assumption by Giambattista Tiepolo, and eight biblical scenes in chiaroscuro by Giandomenico Tiepolo on the walls. The building had been raised as a theatre in 1680 but the patriarch of Aquileia had it transformed 80 years later out of repugnance for such a devilish institution so close to Udine's 13th-century cathedral. Ask in the cathedral for a guided tour (free) of the oratory, which is otherwise generally not open.
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Trattoria agli Amici
It is worth making the trek out of central Udine to this classic of traditional and creative cooking, which the Scarello family has run successfully since 1887. Try the ravioli di formaggi di malga, trippe ed ortaggi croccanti (a cheese-filled dumping with tripe and crispy vegetables). The tasting menu is tempting.
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Galleria d’Arte Antica
The Galleria d’Arte Antica has a handful of works by Caravaggio (there is a portrait of St Francis in room 7), Carpaccio (with a work showing the adoration of Christ’s blood in room 3) and Tiepolo (several works in room 10). The bulk of the collection is dedicated to lesser-known Friulian painters and religious sculpture.
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Arco Bollani
The Arco Bollani, next to the Loggia di San Giovanni, was designed by Andrea Palladio in 1556 and leads up to the castle used by the Venetian governors. The way is lined by the Porticato del Lippomano, a late-15th century portico raised along the length of one of the city's former defensive walls.
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Galleria d’Arte Moderna
The Modern Art Gallery was established in 1885 after a rich Udinese merchant left his estate to the city. Since then, the gallery has absorbed other collections as well. It features works by well-known 20th-century Italian artists, such as De Chirico, Severini and Morandi.
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Loggia di San Giovanni
A clear reminder of Venetian influence along with the Palazzo del Comune is the Loggia di San Giovanni opposite, which features a clock tower modelled, albeit in squatter format, on the one gracing Venice's Piazza San Marco. As in Venice, Moorish figures strike the hours.
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Osteria al Barnabiti
The first oddity is the bar itself, a series of giant old wooden lecterns with inkwells. Hang about for fine wines, or get into some of the harder stuff if you choose. Light meals, such as assorted cold meats and cheeses, are available to assist absorption.
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Palazzo del Comune
Udine's Renaissance heart beats in Piazza della Libertà. The 15th-century Palazzo del Comune, also known as the Loggia del Lionello after its architect (a goldsmith by the name of Nicolò Lionello), is a clear reminder of Venetian influence.
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Trattoria ai Frati
A delightful old-style eatery on a cobbled cul-de-sac and with tiny timber tables. Expect such local specialities as frico (a thick, succulent cheese-and-potato omelette), or tagliolini served with San Daniele ham.
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Pinocchio
Hip Pinocchio boasts a sprawling bar, low lights and thumping music. Locals balance cocktails while eyeing each other up, although sometimes they are distracted by live acts. Cocktails cost €5, less during happy hour from 7pm.
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Caffè Contarena
An art deco fantasy with high ceilings and lots of polished timber, this is Udine’s glamour-puss scene. The maxim in this stunning cafe beneath the arcades of Palazzo d’Aronco is sip coffee or cocktails and look good.
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Al Cappello
Wine lovers should not miss this historic spot, where hundreds of tempting tipples are scribbled on the giant blackboard. Food is predominantly snacky, although with a few you could easily reach lunchtime saturation.
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I Piombi
Head downstairs into what for centuries was the city’s prison. A labyrinth of vaulted brick rooms host long timber benches that creak under the weight of beers, wine, food and a crowd of happy inmates.
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Sbarco dei Pirati
Pots, pans, saws, clogs, saddles and other assorted knick-knacks hang from the walls and ceiling. Typical meaty Friulian fare fills the brief menu, popular with students and those on a student budget.
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Museo del Duomo
Housed in a couple of chapels is the Museo del Duomo, among whose most interesting elements are the 13th- to 17th-century frescoes in the Cappella di San Nicolò.
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Chiesa di San Francesco
The 13th-century Chiesa di San Francesco was once one of Udine’s most striking churches. It is now used as a gallery and is open only during exhibitions.
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Museo Archeologico
Admission to the Galleria d'Arte Antica includes a visit to the Museo Archeologico, also in the castle, with objects dating as far back as the Iron Age.
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Cathedral
Heading south from Piazza della Libertà down Via Vittorio Veneto, you reach Piazza del Duomo and Udine's 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral.
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Alla Ghiacciaia
Once an ice factory, this is a pleasing spot to eat local cuisine with a meaty bent, especially if you grab a table by the narrow, burbling canal.
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Speziaria Pei Sani
Walls are lined with bottle after bottle of wine and grappa at this superb wine bar, a fave with Udine's student body.
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Villa Manin
Contemporary-art lovers will appreciate the exhibitions at Villa Manin, a villa in Passariano, 30km southwest of Udine. Home to the Venetian noble Manin family from the 1600s until as late as the 1990s (when the last count died heirless), which included the last of Venice’s doges, the vast mansion is surrounded by 19 hectares of manicured gardens. Napoleon Bonaparte humiliated Doge Ludovico Manin by turning the mansion into his headquarters in mid-1797 and, in October, signing the Treaty of Campoformido, under which Venice passed to Habsburg Austria. Alight from a train on the Venice–Udine line at Codroipo and take a taxi (or, if you have the patience, one of the few SAF …
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Chiesa di Santa Maria del Castello
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Modern Art Gallery
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