THE ORIGIN
What is there at the origin of our identity? We have searched for places of memory in our town, Udine.
The Lion of Venice witnesses the importance of the presence of the Republic of Venice for us; it recalls the presence of the Venetians in Udine and the role of Venice in the building of our identity. But the statue of Garibaldi, one of the fathers of Italy, is also essential to our identity. Finally, we found a meaningful symbol in the Statue of Peace, which commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Campoformido, where our region was disputed between France and Austria.
The building of our identity passes through the awareness of being a region at the frontier.
Udine has uncertain origins, just as uncertain are the reasons for its name. Initially populated by Celtic tribes, its area became a rather significant castrum during the Roman Empire, having been established with the aim of defending the northern borders of the empire. Around the year 1000, Udine began to increase its importance and was soon equipped with a defensive city wall and a castle. The 13th century was a crucial period in the history of Udine, since in 1222 the patriarch of Aquileia transferred his residence there due to its centrality. Since then, the city has undergone several dominations, passing from hand to hand until its final liberation. To discover Udine's history from the Middle ages to the 20th century click on the timeline below.
St. Mark's lion on the arch leading to the castle in Pizzale della Patria del Friuli, Udine
Lion of Venice
On 19 May 1420, Friuli’s Lieutenant, Roberto Morosini, entered Udine. His task was to represent the Venetian rule and replace the government of Aquileia’s Patriarch. Udine was considered "the most Venetian city on the mainland", with evidence of four centuries of domination of the Serenissima over the Patriarchate of Aquileia (Loggia del Lionello, the Clock Tower, Loggia di S. Giovanni,etc.). The Venetians ruled Friuli until 1797 when the region was ceded to Austria by the Treaty of Campoformido.
The column was erected in 1539 but with the conquest by Napoleon of Udine in 1797 the lion was destroyed. In the Risorgimento, when our city was reconquered by the Piedmontese troops, the lion was again carved by Domenico Mondini. The lion with the closed book was associated with a period of war. In the border countries it indicated that the city was exempted from paying taxes for war merits or in exchange for loyalty.
Bollani arch is extremely easy to reach, being located right next to the clock tower in Piazza della Libertà. With its Venetian Gothic style it represents Serenissima golden period and the Lion placed above witnesses it. Bollani arch was commissioned by the Venetian general Bollani to Andrea Palladio. St. Marco’ Andante Lion was made of Vicenza stone while the wings.
The clock tower, built by Giovanni da Udine, was incorporated in Loggia di San Giovanni after he returned from Rome in 1527. Its structure is inspired by the clock tower in Piazza San Marco in Venice; they have in common the two Moors, the Marcian lion and the clock with blue background.
the_lion_of_udine (1).mp4St. Mark's lion, Piazza della libertà, Udine
The Statue of Peace in Piazza Libertà
Statue of the peace
It is placed in Piazza Libertà, near the castle and it was made by the sculptor Giovanni Battista Comolli in 1813. It was moved from Campoformido to Udine in 1819.
It was made to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Campo Formio, a peace settlement between the France Republic and the Austrian monarchy signed on 17 october 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Johann Ludwig von Cobenzl.
The monument measures 6.55 meters in height. This statue is depicted seated with her right arm resting on a cuirass; to her left, on the ground, a helmet and the cornucopia of abundance. Behind, between the two consular beams, symbol of peace entrusted to the laws, two joined shields: one with the imperial eagle of France, the other with the double headed eagle of Austria, to represent the alliance between the two powers. The author of the commemorative inscription, located in the framework facing the south side of the monument, is instead the abbot Stefano Antonio Morcelli.
Garibaldi
This monument is located in Piazza Garibaldi.
It consists of a granite stepped base on which is placed a bronze statue of a young garibaldian. He's putting his foot on a broken door, raising a trumpet with one hand and holding the flag. Above the pedestal stands the bronze statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, with folded arms and with a sword in his right hand. This statue was inaugurated on August 29th, 1886 by a sculptor named Guglielmo Michieli. It was created after the sculptor won a competition announced three years before, followed by the drawing and exhibition of thirty-two sketches made by different artists, in which Guglielmo’s was chosen by the commission - composed by many people, among whom we remember Camillo Boito and Giacomo Favretto -. The sketch is now preserved in the Civic Museums of Udine. The bronze parts were cast by Victor's father, Giuseppe.
This statue is a place of memory because it was made in honour of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general and patriot who contributed heavily to the unification of Italy and the creation of its kingdom, so that he can be considered one of Italy’s “fathers”.
A photo of the statue in Piazza Garibaldi.
A few details from the statue.
Garibaldi talking about himself.