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Udine

While reluctantly ceding its premier status to Trieste in the 1950s, this confident, wealthy provincial city remains the spiritual and gastronomic capital of Friuli. Udine gives little away in its sprawling semi-rural suburbs, but encased inside the peripheral ring road lies an infinitely grander medieval centre: a dramatic melange of Venetian arches, Grecian statues and Roman columns. The old town is pristine, but also very lively. Bars here are not just for posing; for the Udinese, kicking on is the norm.

As well as its culinary and vinous pleasures, the city also has a handful of excellent museums; this was the second home of Tiepolo and there's a number of his works spread over a few sites. What's more, you'll often have these marvellous works all to yourself.

Explore Udine

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Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Udine’s modern and contemporary hub brings together a number of bequests, creating a substantial collection of 20th-century Italian artists, including De…
O
Oratorio della Purità
This intimate oratory has a dramatic ceiling painting of the Assumption by Giambattista Tiepolo, with a glowing Madonna framed by tumbling, rather…
P
Piazza della Libertà
A shimmering Renaissance epiphany materialising from the surrounding maze of medieval streets, Piazza della Libertà is dubbed the most beautiful Venetian…
C
Castello
Rebuilt in the mid-16th century after an earthquake in 1511, Udine's castle affords rare views of the city and snowy peaks beyond. It houses a number of…
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Galleria d'Arte Antica
This 13-room gallery showcases the work of local and Venetian artists from the end of the 14th- to the early 19th-century. There are a handful of…
A
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…
P
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…
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Loggia di San Giovanni
A clear reminder of Venetian influence is the Loggia di San Giovanni, which features a clock tower modelled, albeit in squatter format, on the one gracing…
M
Museo Diocesano & Tiepolo Galleries
The drawcards here are the two rooms featuring early frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, including the wonderfully over-the-top Expulsion of the Rebellious…

M
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Udine’s modern and contemporary hub brings together a number of bequests, creating a substantial collection of 20th-century Italian artists, including De…
O
Oratorio della Purità
This intimate oratory has a dramatic ceiling painting of the Assumption by Giambattista Tiepolo, with a glowing Madonna framed by tumbling, rather…
P
Piazza della Libertà
A shimmering Renaissance epiphany materialising from the surrounding maze of medieval streets, Piazza della Libertà is dubbed the most beautiful Venetian…
C
Castello
Rebuilt in the mid-16th century after an earthquake in 1511, Udine's castle affords rare views of the city and snowy peaks beyond. It houses a number of…
G
Galleria d'Arte Antica
This 13-room gallery showcases the work of local and Venetian artists from the end of the 14th- to the early 19th-century. There are a handful of…
A
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…
P
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…
L
Loggia di San Giovanni
A clear reminder of Venetian influence is the Loggia di San Giovanni, which features a clock tower modelled, albeit in squatter format, on the one gracing…
M
Museo Diocesano & Tiepolo Galleries
The drawcards here are the two rooms featuring early frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, including the wonderfully over-the-top Expulsion of the Rebellious…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Udine.

See
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Udine’s modern and contemporary hub brings together a number of bequests, creating a substantial collection of 20th-century Italian artists, including De…
See
Oratorio della Purità
This intimate oratory has a dramatic ceiling painting of the Assumption by Giambattista Tiepolo, with a glowing Madonna framed by tumbling, rather…
See
Piazza della Libertà
A shimmering Renaissance epiphany materialising from the surrounding maze of medieval streets, Piazza della Libertà is dubbed the most beautiful Venetian…
See
Castello
Rebuilt in the mid-16th century after an earthquake in 1511, Udine's castle affords rare views of the city and snowy peaks beyond. It houses a number of…
See
Galleria d'Arte Antica
This 13-room gallery showcases the work of local and Venetian artists from the end of the 14th- to the early 19th-century. There are a handful of…
See
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…
See
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…
See
Loggia di San Giovanni
A clear reminder of Venetian influence is the Loggia di San Giovanni, which features a clock tower modelled, albeit in squatter format, on the one gracing…
See
Museo Diocesano & Tiepolo Galleries
The drawcards here are the two rooms featuring early frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, including the wonderfully over-the-top Expulsion of the Rebellious…

Guidebooks

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