CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI

Cividale del Friuli, whose Lombard itinerary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a treasure trove of artistic treasures: a stroll through its historic centre fills the visitor with a special atmosphere, full of charm.

Julius Caesar founded the city around 50 BC with the name Forum Iulii: this is where the name Friuli comes from.

Today, as you walk around Cividale del Friuli, you can discover gems you won’t find anywhere else, first and foremost the Lombard Temple, one of the most extraordinary pieces of early medieval architecture in the West.
The Altar of Ratchis and the Baptistery of Callisto are exceptional examples of Lombard art that can be seen in the precious Christian Museum and Treasure of the Cathedral; Cividale del Friuli was the seat of the first Longobard Duchy in Italy. But the town has always been a meeting point for cultures and peoples: from the Celts to the Romans, from the Carolingians to the Patriarchate of Aquileia.

There are countless artistic wonders, including the Cathedral where, every Epiphany, the suggestive rite of the Mass of the Spadone (Mass of the Sword) takes place.

See also:

• The National Archaeological Museum, located in the Palazzo dei Provveditori Veneti
• The famous Devil’s Bridge, a bold piece of architecture from the 1400s
• The Celtic Hypogeum, an impressive system of underground cavities
• The Medieval house, located in Borgo Brossana, dating from the 14th century

Festivals and curious traditions. And major events such as Mittelfest

• Mittelfest (Cividale del Friuli, July), international festival of theatre and entertainment in Mitteleuropa
• Palio di San Donato (Cividale del Friuli, August), medieval re-enactment
• Mass of the Sword (Cividale del Friuli, January), medieval re-enactment
• Gioco del Truc (Cividale del Friuli, Easter), an authentic and traditional game with eggs, which takes place in different locations of the old town centre