Piazza Libertà of Udine

Situated at the foot of Udine's Castle, the name of the square was changed several times. In the Middle Ages, in fact, it was called Piazza del Vino (Wine Square) because there was a dedicated market. In 1350 it took the name of Piazza del Comune (Square of the Town Hall) because the Town Council met there. In 1550, when the Venetians arrived, it was called Piazza Contarena in honour of one of the lieutenants, while in 1866, with the annexation of Friuli to Italy, it was dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II. Only after the Second World War it was given its current name.

Many buildings overlook this charming square, starting from the fifteenth-century Loggia del Lionello, in Venetian Gothic style covered in white and pink marble.

On the other hand, on the embankment you can admire St. John's Loggia and Temple. The first was built between 1533 and 1535 according to the project by Bernardino da Morcote, the latter is dedicated to the Fallen for the Country.

 
Very original is the Clock Tower, a work by Giovanni da Udine that can be dated back to 1527, surmounted by the statues of the two moors that beat time. The Bollani Arch by Palladio, which with its rustic ashlar-work and St. Mark's Lion on the top leads directly to the city's Castle, does not lack creativity.

The Peace Monument, commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate the Treaty of Campo Formio, has been present since 1819 midway up the climb between the Loggia del Lionello and the Bollani Arch.
Opposite the Peace Monument is the monumental Renaissance fountain by Carrara. The square also features St. Mark's Column erected in 1539 and the Column of Justice, which dates back to 1614. Finally, the seventeenth-century twin statues of Hercules and Cacus, called Florean and Venturin by the inhabitants of Udine, face the Loggia del Lionello.

For tourist information
Infopoint Udine
Piazza I Maggio, 7
33100 Udine
Tel. +39 0432 295972
info.udine@promoturismo.fvg.it