Cividale del Friuli

A city rich in medieval artworks, a must-visit in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the starting point of the UNESCO itinerary on the history and legacy of the Lombards.

Rich in late-medieval works of art, Cividale del Friuli is one of the must-see destinations in Friuli Venezia Giulia.  It guards invaluable testimonies of its Lombard past and it represents the starting point of the UNESCO itinerary dedicated to the legacy that this mysterious population has passed on to Italy.

A visit to the city has to include the National Archaeological Museum, the Christian Museum and the Treasure of the Cathedral, the precious Lombard Temple and the mysterious Celtic Hypogeum, a site which was built in many different eras, even if its purpose still today remains unknown.  Perhaps it was a burial site during the Celtic period, and maybe it was used as a prison in Roman and Lombard times. Maybe one day we may be able to gain a better understanding of this place but, for now, we can only admire it in silence.

But even without these treasures, Cividale is also definitely well worth a visit for other exhibits: the CIPS, dedicated to the puppets of Vittorio Podrecca from Cividale, Italy's greatest performer of puppetry, and the De Martiis Family Collection, an art gallery exhibiting a series of extraordinary artists of the 20th century.

For both children and adults, we recommend a tour of the Acrobati del Sole Park, an ornithological centre dedicated to birds of prey, where you can enjoy a very original show and visit the living environments of these animal species.