History in Udine

The province of Udine, on the Northeast Italian border, has had a long, turbulent history. The area has been controlled by various groups over the years and each has influenced the area dramatically, making Udine what it is today. There are many historical landmarks that visitors can still see and appreciate today.

Early History

Since Neolithic times, Udine has been inhabited. In the 4th century B.C., groups of Celts invaded the region, but by the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C., the Romans took over. In 470, when the Roman Empire and Aquellela, the lord of the area, fell, Udine became more significant. It grew to have a prosperous market and a great economy. It even became the home base of the Patriarch in 1223. The prosperity of Udine lasted until the 1400s, when the Republic of Venice took over.

Earthquake

The year 1511 forever changed the path of Udine. Civil war broke out in the region, but soon after it began, a huge earthquake shook the province, destroying most everything, including the original Lombart fort and castle of Udine, Palazzo Patriarcale. Plague and famine swept the region afterwards, killing off much of the population. In 1517, the castle was rebuilt, which you can still visit today. After many years, Udine became prosperous once again under Venetian rule. The Venetians lasted until 1797, when Napoleon defeated the republic.

Modern History

The French controlled Udine until 1815, when the Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom, ruled by the Austrians, took over the region. During this period the Palazzo Patriarcale was used as a prison. Finally, a few decades later in 1866, Udine was taken in as part of the Kingdom of Italy. During World War I, this region became the very important home base for the Italian military and the capital of Friuli, an area comprised of the provinces of Udine, Gorizia and Pordenone. As a tribute to that turbulent moment in history, you can still visit the biggest cemetery in Europe, which is in Udine. It contains more than 100,000 tombs from World War I. World War II was a critical time in Udine as well. The German Third Reich actually controlled Udine until 1945. When the war ended, Udine went back to being simply a part of Italy. Nowadays, you can visit important monuments such as St. Mary of the Castle Church, the oldest  in  Udine, or the fabulous buildings created by Andrea Palladio in the 1500s, which are still in great condition.