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Friuli-Venezia Giulia · Udine

Udine

The historic capital of Friuli, built around a man-made castle hill.

Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
By car
1 h from Trieste
By train
Station in the comune
Population
97,808

Known for

  • TIEPOLO

    Udine treated as his second home; the frescoes in the Palazzo Patriarcale mark his transition into mature Rococo.

  • PATRIARCATO

    Capital of the Patria del Friuli from the twelfth century until Venice took the city in 1420, the political center of medieval Friuli.

  • FRICO

    The Friulian potato and Montasio cheese tortino, the cooked-cheese dish that anchors Udine restaurant menus from the bakeries to the historic trattorie.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

  • J9°
  • F11°
  • M14°
  • A17°
  • M21°
  • J27°
  • J29°
  • A29°
  • S24°
  • O19°
  • N14°
  • D9°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Ermagora e Fortunato, 12 July

Why come

Udine sits in the center of the Friulian plain, raised on a single man-made hill that legend assigns to Attila's army. The city is documented from 983, when Emperor Otto II donated the castle to the Patriarchs of Aquileia. By the twelfth century the patriarchs had moved their residence here, and for four hundred years Udine served as capital of the Patria del Friuli before Venice took the city in 1420 and governed it until 1797.

The hill and the square below it still read as two distinct centers: the castle above, rebuilt after the 1511 earthquake, looking down on the civic and religious cluster of the Piazza della Libertà, the Duomo, and the patriarchs' palace. From May 1915 to October 1917 the city was the seat of the Italian military command and was nicknamed Capitale della Guerra. A town built twice over as a seat of power, first ecclesiastical, then military, with its hill as the constant.

The Sunday letter

Udine is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Udine comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Udine in our articles

How to get there

From Venice (TSF), about 1h 33m by car.

Verona (VRN) is about 2h 46m away.

By car from the centre of Trieste 1 hour.

Driving in is restricted: there is a limited traffic zone here (ZTL Centro). Check the signs and the times before you drive into the centre.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Venice?

Coming by train into Trieste Centrale? Udine is about 1 hour away by road.

Every town within reach of Venice airport.

Udine, photo 1
Udine, photo 2

What to see

  • Piazza della Libertà

    Framed by the Loggia del Lionello of 1448, the Porticato di San Giovanni, and a clock tower with bronze Mori that strike the hour above the square.

  • Castello di Udine

    Rebuilt in the sixteenth century after the 1511 earthquake, former seat of the Patriarchs of Aquileia and then of the Venetian governors, now housing civic museums on the hill above the city.

  • Galleria del Tiepolo (Palazzo Patriarcale)

    The frescoes here were painted for the Patriarch Dionisio Dolfin; Giambattista Tiepolo's rooms are reached through the palace's staircase and galleries, the setting as much a part of the work as the ceilings themselves.

  • Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata

    The principal religious building of the patriarchal seat, holding further Tiepolo frescoes and altarpieces inside a fourteenth-century structure.

  • Oratorio della Purità

    A small oratory beside the Duomo, its every surface, including the ceiling Assumption, decorated by Tiepolo father and son together.

  • Piazza Matteotti

    Known locally as Piazza San Giacomo, the old market square, with the Chiesa di San Giacomo at its head and a Renaissance well at its center.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Udine fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Agli AmiciRistorante

    Agli Amici has two Michelin stars, three Gambero Rosso forks (93/100) and a place in L'Espresso's Top 300, among other nods.

  • Vitello d'OroRistorante

    Vitello d'Oro carries one Gambero Rosso fork (78/100), plus a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • 1905 dell'Hotel Là di MoretRistorante

    1905 dell'Hotel Là di Moret holds two Gambero Rosso forks (82/100).

  • FredWine Bar

    Fred has two Gambero Rosso bottles to its name.

  • Hostaria alla TavernettaRistorante

    Hostaria alla Tavernetta holds a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • Osteria Aquila NeraTrattoria

    A Gambero Rosso listing, at Osteria Aquila Nera.

  • Trattoria Alla VedovaRistorante

    Trattoria Alla Vedova has a place on Italy's historic-locali register to its name.

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Living here

  • Population 97,808
  • A local hubi
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Venice, 1 h 33 min drive
  • Regional capital Trieste, 1 h 4 min drive

Common questions

What is Udine known for?
Udine is the historic capital of Friuli, built around a man-made castle hill.
Where is Udine?
Udine is a comune in the province of Udine, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, at 113 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Udine?
Venice (TSF), about 1h 33m by car.
Can you get to Udine without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Trieste to Udine?
About 1 hour by car.
When is the best time to visit Udine?
Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 16 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Udine?
Yes. Friuli Doc a Udine, Mercatino del Riuso and Friuli Doc, and 2 more we hold a source for.
Which other towns are like Udine?
San Vito al Tagliamento, Cervignano del Friuli and Trieste.
How many people live in Udine?
97,808 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 113 m
  • Population: 97,808
  • Surface area: 57.17 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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