MUSEUMS IN UDINE: GUEST FOR A DAY AT THE CIVIC MUSEUMS IN UDINE

I do love losing myself in small cities, those cities you can visit in a day, wandering around a square, going to a museum, to a café or to a bookshop.
We’re always in a hurry, I know, and we haven’t got any free time to take a break, but at least once a year it may happen!

The last time it happened to me I was in Udine, I enjoyed the day to the fullest, and I did what I like the most: visiting museums.

 

Guest for a day at the Civic Museums in Udine

I was guest for a day at the Civic Museums in Udine, and that allowed me to discover the treasures of this city and its history through my visit to its most important museums: Casa Cavazzini and the Castle of Udine, with a stop in Piazza Libertà, which is the heart of historic centre of Udine.

Here is what I saw and what I suggest that you should visit.

Casa Cavazzini

It’s the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of the city, located in the historic centre. It’s a modern museum, and an exhibition centre for contemporary art of Udine, built on a project by the architect Gae Aulenti.
Casa Cavazzini houses a large amount of works of art (about 4,000 items!) dating from the 1850s up to the present day, with a special section dedicated to Italian art of the 20^th century, which is probably the most completed collection of Italian art of the 20^th century. The Museum also boasts important American artworks of the 1970s. It’s a one-of-a-kind case within Italy, made possible thanks to the generosity of some important American artists who donated their artworks in an act of solidarity with the Friulian people after the big earthquake of 1976 which devastated the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

Therefore, when visiting Casa Cavazzini, don’t be surprised if you see works by Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtensteinor  or by Christo.

 

 

Piazza Libertà

Few steps away from Casa Cavazzini lies Piazza Libertà, which is a summary of the last 600 years of the history of Udine.
Noteworthy monuments in the square are the Renaissance Fountain by Giovanni da Udine; the Loggia del Lionello built in 1448 in the Venetian Gothic style; the Arco Bollani planned by Andrea Palladio, the Statue of Peace dating back to the early 19^th century, commissioned under the French domination in order to commemorate the peace Treaty of Campoformido that in 1797 ratified the end of the Republic of Venice; the 1527 Clock Tower with two Moors who ring the bell every hour.

 

The Castle of Udine

From Piazza Libertà you may reach the Castle, which lies upon a hill in the historic centre of the city.
The current building was rebuilt in the 16^th century, after the devastating earthquake happened in 1511, which completely destroyed an older building.
The walls of the rooms of the Castle are decorated with scenes celebrating the greatness of Udine and the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, among which you can admire frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo.
The Castle is home to many collections, such as the Museum del Risorgimento, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Photography, and my favourite collection, the Gallery of the Ancient Art housing works from the 14^th century to the 19^th century by artists such as Caravaggio and Tiepolo.

 

INFO
Civic Museums in Udine

MUSEUMS OF THE CASTEL
(Museo Archeologico, Museo del Risorgimento, Galleria d’Arte Antica, Museo della Fotografia)
Piazzale del Castello, 1 – 33100 Udine

CASA CAVAZZINI
Via Cavour, 14  – 33100 Udine

LINK
Official website – www.civicimuseiudine.it