Trieste – Udine – Noventa

TRIESTE

Enjoy the beauty of Trieste and visit the magnificent Grotta Gigante cave and the famous Miramare Castle with its luxurious garden and fountain.

If you take the coastal promenade towards the city center, you will quickly notice numerous palaces that are reminiscent of Vienna or other Austrian cities. No wonder, considering that Trieste was part of the Habsburg Empire for most of its modern history. More precisely, with short interruptions, it spent almost six centuries under Habsburg rule and developed into the most important port and one of the largest cities in the Monarchy.

Soon, the view opens up on the left towards the Canal Grande, a canal that shares its name with the much more famous version in Venice. Although it is not nearly as large and famous, it is one of the most charming parts of the city. Several bridges that intersect the water flow, restaurants and cafes lined up along it, and the church of Sant’ Antonio Taumaturgo, which is located at the end of the canal, are one of the most beautiful views of Trieste.

At the Canal, the coastal promenade becomes wider, and the bay suddenly opens up, and your view suddenly stretches for kilometers into the distance. If you continue along the coast a little further towards the very center of the city, you will come to the passenger part of the Port of Trieste, the largest cargo port on the Adriatic. This is precisely one of the city’s special features – the passenger terminal is located directly opposite the main city square – Piazza dell’Unita d’Italia (Square of Italian Unity). Since the main square is shaped like the letter ‘u’, the entry of a cruiser into the port acts as a joyful welcome for a guest arriving in your living room, just as the merchant ships that brought Trieste immense wealth were once joyfully welcomed.

One of the places you should visit is the iconic cafe “Illy”, where the culture of producing and drinking coffee is at its peak. In Trieste, coffee has a special terminology when ordered: espresso – “nero”, macchiato – “capo”, cappuccino – “caffelatte”.

UDINE

Udine, a charming city in northeastern Italy, is the perfect destination for lovers of history, art and gastronomy. Located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, this city exudes Italian charm and offers numerous attractions worth exploring during your visit.

Piazza Della Libertà
The monumental heart and jewel of Udine, Piazza della Libertà is a Venetian square on the mainland dominated by a hill with a castle. It has many attractions. First of all there is the Loggia del Lionello , a sumptuous Venetian-Gothic building built in the mid-15th century, with its characteristic alternating white and pink stone, the elegant delicacy of the portico with large arches and triple arched windows. Here, in a niche with the Madonna and Child, there is a model of the castle before it was destroyed in the earthquake of 1511. On the opposite side of the square, the Clock Tower overlooks the chapel and the Loggia of San Giovanni . Two large 17th-century statues on the edge of the embankment represent Hercules and Cacus . Crossing the Arco Bollani , built in 1556 to a design by Andrea Palladio , you reach the castle, bypassing the enchanting Porticato del Lippomano.

Piazza Giacomo Matteotti
Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, also known as Piazza San Giacomo, is often called the city’s living room and is a favorite square for locals and visitors alike. The square features a beautiful 16th-century fountain in the center and is surrounded by charming houses with arcades decorated with ancient frescoes and intricate wooden ceilings. Nearby is the Chiesa di San Giacomo, built in the 14th century, which displays excellent religious art inside and out.

Loggia di S. Giovanni and Torre dell’orologio
Among the most beautiful architectural complexes in the city, the Renaissance Loggia di San Giovanni, built between 1533 and 1535, and the Clock Tower, built in 1527, on the top of which are two Moors who rhythmically strike the hours, complete, together with the Loggia del Lionello, one of the most beautiful and precious artistic places in the entire Friuli-Julian countryside, Piazza Libertà.

Church of Santa Maria di Castello
Built on a site where there may have been a place of worship in the past, it most likely dates back to the Lombard period: this is evidenced by some stone fragments dating back to the 8th century discovered during the restoration in 1928-1930, including the Christ Logos and an epigraph with the name of Liutprand, king of the Lombards (712-744). Little or nothing is known about its original appearance (probably with an apse and small size), given that the church may have been destroyed during the Hungarian invasions. The current building reveals a Romanesque ground plan dating back to the 12th century based on its architectural features (including the division into three naves).

Loggia del Lionello
The Loggia del Lionello is one of the oldest and most important historical buildings in Udine, built in Piazza Libertà, and owes its name to the man who completed it: Nicolò Lionello. Characterized by its magnificent structure and the elegance of its marble, the Loggia has gradually become a symbol of the city. The building consists of two floors and is characterized by its cladding of alternating strips of pink and white stone. The main facade has ten arches located in the lower part, while above there is a central balcony and two lateral triple lancet windows, enriched with stone coats of arms that recall the city of Udine. The style of the building, as a whole, recalls the Venetian Gothic style. The upper part of the north side has a refined five-part window characterized by a frame with dentils and stone rondels, which depict religious moments such as the Annunciation, as well as bas-reliefs of the Evangelists. The main facade faces the hill with the castle, the left side faces the group of houses, the right side faces the Mercatovecchio street, while the rear part forms the back wall of the loggia. The latter is connected to the square by an elegant and wide staircase occupied by two central arches.

Udine Cathedral
The construction of the cathedral began in 1236 by the will of Bertoldo, Patriarch of Aquileia, on a Latin cross plan with three naves and side chapels. The style should follow the style of the Franciscan churches of the time. The church was consecrated in 1335 as Santa Maria Maggiore. In 1348, an earthquake damaged the building, and restoration began in 1368. On that occasion, the larger previous rose window on the facade was replaced by the current smaller one.
At the beginning of the 18th century, at the request and expense of the Manin family, a radical transformation project was carried out, encompassing both the exterior and the interior. The designer was the architect Domenico Rossi, and the works were completed in 1735.