Friuli - Friuli visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Friuli' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Friuli is a distinct area in Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It is part of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and includes the cities of Udine, Pordenone and Gorizia. Other important towns in Friuli include Cervignano del Friuli, Cividale del Friuli, Codroipo, Gemona del Friuli, Gorizia, Monfalcone, Pordenone, Sacile, and Tolmezzo. The region is named after the Roman city of Forum Iulii, known today as 'Cividale del Friuli', though the regional capital is Udine, also established by the Romans.

Geographically, Friuli mostly formed of a river plain surrounded be mountains with the Adriatic Sea to the south. The the north are the Carnic Alps to the north, to the east is the Timavo river and Julian Alps while to the west is the Livenza river. This results in a humid sub-Mediterranean climate, well suited to growing grapes.

Friuli was occupied since prehistoric times, and settled by Celtic peoples in the 4th century BC. The Romans conquered Friuli in the 2nd century BC and Aquileia became the regional capital and an important river port. The importance of the region continued long after the Roman Empire fell, becoming a Lombard duchy (6th-8th cent.) and a Frankish march (8th cent.) before being split into Gorizia (east) and Friuli (west). The area was fought over by Venice and Florence, both powerful states in Medieval times. For a while in the 19th century it was ruled by Austria.

Friuli - Tourist Attractions

Aside from the countryside, many of the towns contain historical sites, museums and other attractions. Some of the most popular include:

• Cividale del Friuli Attractions most of which focus around the Piazza del Duomo.
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Archeological Museum) - housing Lombard antiquities and fine gold ornaments as well as prehistoric, Roman and medieval artefacts.
• Cathedral (Duomo) - 15th century Venetian Gothic building, finished in the 16th century with an 12th century fine silver altar front on the High Altar.
• Oratorio di Santa Maria in Valle Church - known also as the 'Lombard Temple' (Tempietto Longobardo), showing strong Byzantine influences housing fine, 11th or 12th century decorations, statues and stuccoes.
• Devil's Bridge - impressive 15th century stone bridge spanning the Natisone River.
• Osterias - restaurants serving local wine by the glass as well as regional cuisine.
• Santuario di Castelmonte - most important pilgrimage site in Friuli, near to Cividale del Friuli.
• Aquileia Attractions a World Heritage Site full of ancient ruins.
Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Aquileia - a World Heritage Site built in the 11th century and modified in the 14th with stunning views from the 73m high bell tower.Museo Archeologico (National Archaeological Museum) - one of the most important museums of Ancient Rome in the world with over 2,000 inscriptions, statues and other antiquities.
• Amphitheatre - the remains of a Roman amphitheatre on a Roman road with a number of partly excavated oratories with well- preserved mosaic pavements.
• Museo Paleocristiano - containing a history of Christian funerary rituals and artefacts.
• Forum - partially constructed Roman forum near to the old Roman port.
• Udine Attractions capital of Friuli.
• Castello - 16th century Castello now housing the Museo Civico and the Galleria d'Arte Antica with art from the 15th century onwards.
• Udine Cathedral (Duomo) - 13th century Gothic cathedral church remodelled in the 18th century decorated with stucco and frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
• Galleria d'Arte Moderna (Gallery of Modern Art) - with over 4000 works of art from paintings and drawings to sculpture, from the mid 1800s up until today.
Museo del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) - housing a significant collection of art and cultural items from the time Bertrando was Patriarch of Aquileia in the 14th century.
• Oratorio della Purità - small church behind teh cathedral with frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, his son.
Piazza della Libertà - important square around which are the Loggia del Lionello (Palazzo del Comune) the 16th century Porticato (Loggia) di San Giovanni.