Udine ( ; ; ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the middle of the

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea. Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...

region, between the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

and the

Carnic Alps The Carnic Alps (; ; ; ) are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in Austria and northeastern Italy. They are within Austrian East Tyrol and Carinthia, and Italian Friuli (Province of Udine) and marginally in Veneto. Etymology They are ...

. It is the capital of the Regional decentralization entity of Udine. As of 2025, it has a population of 98,320 in the commune, and 176,000 with the urban area.

Names and etymology

Udine was first attested in medieval Latin records as ''Udene'' in 983 and as ''Utinum'' around the year 1000. The origin of the name ''Udine'' is unclear. It has been tentatively suggested that the name may be of pre-Roman origin, connected with the

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...

root *''od^h-'' 'udder' used in a figurative sense to mean 'hill'. The Slovene name ''Videm'' (with final -''m'') is a

hypercorrection In sociolinguistics, hypercorrection is the nonstandard use of language that results from the overapplication of a perceived rule of language-usage prescription. A speaker or writer who produces a hypercorrection generally believes through a ...

of the local Slovene name ''Vidan'' (with final -''n''), based on settlements named ''Videm'' in Slovenia. The Slovene linguist

Pavle Merkù Pavle Merkù () (12 July 1927 – 20 October 2014) was an Italian-Slovene composer, Ethnomusicology, ethnomusicologist, Slovene specialist, and Etymology, etymologist. Life Merkù was born in Trieste on 12 July 1927. He received a bachelor's de ...

characterized the Slovene form ''Videm'' as an "idiotic 19th-century hypercorrection."

History

Udine is the historical capital of

Friuli Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...

. The area has been inhabited since the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

age. Based on an old Hungarian legend,

Attila Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...

(?–453), the leader of the Huns, built a hill there, when besieging

Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...

, because he needed a billet for his winter quarters: he instructed his soldiers to bring soil in their helmets and shields, because the landscape was too flat, without any hill. He established the town there, and built a square tower. After the fall of the

Western Roman Empire In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...

, the area increased in importance after the decline of Aquileia, then further after the decline of

Cividale Cividale del Friuli (, locally ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in the Province of Udine, Regional decentralization entity of Udine, part of the Northern Italy, North-Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The town lies above sea-level in th ...

. In AD 983 Udine was mentioned for the first time, with the donation of the ''Utinum'' castle by emperor

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. Otto II was ...

to the

Patriarchs of Aquileia The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in ...

, then the main feudal lords of the region. In 1223, with the foundation of the market,Marušič, Branko. 2000. Videm. ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol. 14. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 224–225. the city became finally the most important in the area for economy and trade, and also became the Patriarch's seat. Old udine

In 1420, it was conquered by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

. In 1511, it was the seat of a short civil war, which was followed by an earthquake and a plague. Udine remained under Venetian control until 1797, being the second largest city in the state. After the fall of Venice, it was part of the Habsburg

Venetian Province The Venetian Province (, ) was the name of the territory of the former Republic of Venice ceded by the French First Republic to the Habsburg monarchy under the terms of the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio that ended the War of the First Coalition. Th ...

(1798-1805). After the short French domination which ensued, being part of the Napoleonic

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

, it was part of the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchic state or realm ruled by a king or queen. ** A monarchic chiefdom, represented or governed by a king or queen. * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and me ...

, and was included in the newly formed

in 1866. In 1880 the city council ordered that the remaining sections of the medieval walls should be demolished to provide space for urban expansion. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, from May 1915 to October 1917, Udine became the seat of the Italian High Command and was nicknamed "Capitale della Guerra" ("War Capital"). After the

battle of Caporetto The Battle of Kobarid (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Caporetto or the Battle of Karfreit) took place on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central P ...

, it was occupied by the Germans in late 1917 and by the

Austro-Hungarians Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

in 1918 until after the

Battle of Vittorio Veneto The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...

in 1918. After the war it was made capital of a short-lived province (''Provincia del Friuli'') which included the current provinces of Gorizia, Pordenone and Udine. After September 8, 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies in World War II, the city was under direct German administration, which ceased in April 1945.

Geography

Climate

Udine has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfa''). Precipitation is abundant all year round with spring and autumn being the wettest seasons. The highest temperature recorded was on July 21, 2006 while the lowest temperature recorded was on December 19, 2009.

Demographics

In 2007, there were 97,880 people residing in Udine itself (whereas the greater area has a population double its size), located in the province of Udine,

, of whom 46.9% were male and 53.1% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 14.36% of the population; in comparison, to pensioners accounted for 24.27%. This contrasts with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The average age of Udine residents is 47 compared to the Italian average of 42. Between 2002 and 2007, the population of Udine grew by 1.48%, whereas Italy as a whole grew by 3.56

The current birth rate of Udine is 9.13 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births. The nearby area close to the border has a Slovenes, Slovene population estimated at 2,000. A 1475 document mentions Slovene as the language of the "lower class" in the town, and the Udine Manuscript of 1458 contains Slovene vocabulary. Alasia da Sommaripa's Italian–Slovenian dictionary was printed in Udine in 1607. Udine is one of the municipalities in

where

Friulian Friulian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Friuli region in northeast Italy. * Sometimes, by improper extension, something of, from, or related to the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions o ...

is taught. , 85.30% of the population was of Italian descent. Of the four provincial capitals of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, as of 31 December 2022, Udine has the second highest percentage of foreign residents: 14,386 presences or 14.7% of the total population, higher than the regional average of 9.2%. #

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, (17.2%) #

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, (11.3%) #

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, (8.8%) #

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

, 716 (5.0%) #

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, 677 (4.7%) #

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, 561 (3.9%) #

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, 560 (3.9%) #

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

, 497 (3.5%) #

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

, 490 (3.4%) #

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, 468 (3.3%)

Government

Main sights

The old residence of the patriarchs of Aquileia, the ''palazzo Patriarcale'', was erected by Giovanni Fontana in 1517 in place of the older one destroyed by an earthquake in 1511. Under the Austrians it was used as a prison. A

recension Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author. The term is derived from the Latin ("review, analysis"). In textual criticism (as is the ...

of the Visigothic code of laws, called the

Breviary of Alaric The ''Breviary of Alaric'' (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum'') is a collection of Roman law, compiled by Roman jurists and issued by referendary Anianus (referendary), Anianus on the order of Alaric II, Visigothic King ...

, was formerly preserved In the cathedral archives, in a manuscript known as the ''Codex Utinensis'', which was printed before it was lost. In the 1550s,

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( , ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be on ...

erected some buildings in Udine. The ''Oratorio della Purità'' has 18th-century frescoes by

Giambattista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; 5 March 1696 – 27 March 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an import ...

and his son Giandomenico. The church dedicated to St. Mary of the Castle is probably the oldest in Udine, judging from extant fragments dating back to the Lombard era. It lost its parish status in 1263, when it was annexed to the larger parish of Saint'Odorico (now the cathedral). It has been renovated many times over the centuries: the façade, for example, was entirely rebuilt after the

1511 Idrija earthquake The 1511 Idrija earthquake ( or ) occurred on 26 March 1511 with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum EMS intensity of X (''very destructive''). The epicenter was near the town of Idrija (now in Slovenia), although some place it in ...

. Its three naves preserve the suggestive atmosphere of silence and contemplation, which is often found in old churches. The Venetian Governor, Tommaso Lippomano, commissioned the Venetian Gothic

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

with steps and ramps leading down the hill in 1487. In the principal square ( Piazza della Libertà) stands the town hall (''Loggia del Lionello'') built in 1448–1457 in the Venetian-Gothic style opposite a clock tower (Torre dell'Orologio) resembling that of the

Piazza San Marco Piazza San Marco (; ), often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal Town Square, public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as ''la Piazza'' ("the Square"). The Piazzetta ("little Piazza/Square") is an ext ...

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. It was begun in 1448 on a project by

Nicolò Lionello Nicolò () is an Italian male given name. Another variation is Niccolò, most common in Tuscany. It may refer to: * Nicolò Albertini, statesman * Nicolò Amati, luthier * Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer * Nicolò Barattieri, Italian engineer * ...

, a local goldsmith, and was rebuilt following a fire in 1876. The new design was projected by the architect

Andrea Scala Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that ref ...

. Opposite the Loggia del Lionello is the Loggia di San Giovanni, a Renaissance structure designed by Bernardino da Morcote. Other noteworthy monuments in the square are the Fountain by Giovanni Carrara, an architect from Bergamo (1542); the Columns bearing the Venetian Lion and the Statue of Justice (1614), the statues of Hercules and Cacus and the Statue of Peace (1819) which was donated to Udine by Emperor Francis I to commemorate the peace

Treaty of Campoformido The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The treat ...

. The Cathedral of Udine is an imposing edifice whose construction started in 1236, on a Latin cross-shaped plan with three naves and chapels along the sides. The church was consecrated in 1335 as ''Santa Maria Maggiore''. At the beginning of the 18th century, a radical transformation project involving both the exterior and the interior was undertaken at the request and expense of the Manin family. The Baroque interior has monumental dimensions and contains many works of art by

Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; 5 March 1696 – 27 March 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an importa ...

, Amalteo, and

Ludovico Dorigny Ludovico Dorigny (1654 – 17 October 1742) was a French painter and engraver. Trained in his native country, he spent most of his life and career in Verona, Italy. Life and career Born Louis Dorigny into a family of Parisian artists, Dorigny ...

. On the ground floor of the bell tower (built from 1441 over the ancient baptistry) is a chapel which is completely adorned with frescoes by

Vitale da Bologna 250px, ''St. George and the Dragon'' Vitale da Bologna (–1360), also known as Vitale di Aymo de' Cavalli or Vitale degli Equi, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He is a representative of the 14th century school of painting ...

(1349). The centre of Udine is dominated by the

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

, built by the Venetians from 1517 over a Lombard fortification ruined by an earthquake in 1511. The current Renaissance appearance dates from the intervention of Giovanni da Udine, who finished the works starting from 1547. The castle houses one of the most ancient Parliament Halls of Europe.

Other points of interest

Orto Botanico Friulano The Orto Botanico Friulano is a botanical garden at a location variously described as near the Istituto Tecnico per Geometri on Viale Leonardo da Vinci, or Via Urbanis, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The garden was established in 1951 and c ...

, a botanical garden * Parco Botanico Friulano "Cormor", a park and botanical garden * Tempio Ossario dei Caduti d'Italia, 1931 church

Culture

Udine has a university, the

University of Udine The University of Udine (Italian language, Italian ''Università degli Studi di Udine'') is a public university in the city of Udine, Italy. It was founded in 1978 as part of the reconstruction plan of Friuli after the 1976 Friuli earthquake, ear ...

. The archbishop's palace and the Museo Civico have quite important paintings. The city has a theater, the Teatro Giovanni da Udine. Important festivals include the wine-and-food September festival, Friuli D.O.C., the national literary prize for non-fiction Premio Friuli Storia and the biggest European festival of popular

East Asian cinema The Cinema of East Asia is cinema produced in East Asia or by people from this region. It is part of cinema of Asia, which in turn is part of world cinema. The most significant film industries that are categorized as East Asian cinema are the ...

, the

Far East Film Festival Far East Film Festival (FEFF) is an annual film festival held in Udine, Italy. It is one of the most important events promoting Asian Cinema in Europe. It focuses mainly on the films from East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. ...

, in April. Asteroid 33100 Udine was named in honour of the city. Along with Italian,

is often spoken in Udine, as well as a variant of

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetians might refer to: * Masters of Venetian painting in 15th-16th centuries * ...

(called Venetin) that is however in decline.

Museums

* ''Civici musei e gallerie di storia e arte'' (since 1906) with Museo Archeologico, Galleria d'Arte Antica, Galleria dei Disegni e delle Stampa, Museo Friulano della Fotografia, Fototeca e Collezioni Risorgimentali * ''Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea'' * Museo etnografico del Friuli (Palazzo Giacomelli) * ''Gallerie del Progetto'' * '' Museo del Duomo di Udine'' * ''Museo diocesano e gallerie del Tiepolo''

Economy

Udine is important for commerce, with several commercial centers in the hinterland. There are also iron and mechanical industries (

Danieli Danieli Group () is an Italian supplier of equipment and physical plants to the metal industry. The company is based in Buttrio, in the north-east of Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia region). It is one of the world leaders in the production of s ...

and ABS are the most important).

Transport

With 7,600,000 travelling people every year,

Udine railway station Udine railway station () serves the city and ''comune'' of Udine, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northeastern Italy. Opened in 1860, it is a junction of five lines, to Venice, Trieste, Tarvisio, Cervignano and Cividale, resp ...

is the most important station in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Train services operate to

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

Gemona del Friuli Gemona del Friuli (; ; ; ) is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine, in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine. The municipality of Gemona del F ...

Tarvisio Tarvisio ( German and ; ) is a (municipality) in the Regional Decentralization Entity of Udine, in the autonomous Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Geography The town is in the Canal Valley (''Val Canale'') between the Carnic Alps and Ka ...

Cividale del Friuli Cividale del Friuli (, locally ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine, part of the North-Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The town lies above sea-level in the foothills of the eastern Alps, ...

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, Rome,

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

and

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. International trains operate to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

and

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Gallery

File:Udine casa veneziana gotica.jpg,

house File:Duomo di udine, esterno 01.JPG, Facade of Udine Cathedral File:The Duomo.jpg, Udine Cathedral File:Udine Chiesa di San Francesco.jpg, Chiesa di San Francesco File:Udine San Giacomo 03.jpg, Piazza San Giacomo File:Udine-PortaManin.jpg, Porta Manin File:Udine-PortaAquileia.jpg, Porta

File:Udine Via Mercatovecchio 01.jpg, Via Mercatovecchio File:Udine, palazzo florio 01.JPG,

File:L’Angelo del campanile della Chiesa di Santa Maria di Castello di Udine.JPG, The Angel of the steeple of the Church of Santa Maria di Castello di Udine

Sport

The main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club in the city is

Udinese Calcio Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional association football, football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football league system, Italian fo ...

, founded in 1896, who, as of 2023, have played in every

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

season since the 1995–96 season. Their ground, the

Stadio Friuli The Stadio Friuli (currently known as Bluenergy Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is an all-seater football stadium in Udine, Italy, and the home of Serie A club Udinese. The stadium was built in 1976 and has a capacity of 25,144. Structure The ...

, was a venue at the

1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...

and will host the

2025 UEFA Super Cup The 2025 UEFA Super Cup will be the 50th edition of the UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the reigning champions of the top two European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa L ...

. The local basketball team, APU GSA, played in the second national league, the

LegaDue Serie A2, known for sponsorship reasons as Serie A2 Old Wild West, is a men's basketball league in Italy. It constitutes the second-tier of the Italian league pyramid, below the first division LBA and above the third division Serie B, with ...

. The former Stadio Moretti hosted football and

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

, it held significant events including qualifying rounds of the

Speedway World Championship The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest-ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world, run under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The first official championsh ...

in 1971 and 1972.

People

Luigi De Agostini Luigi De Agostini (; born 7 April 1961) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer. He played as a Defender (association football), defender, primarily in the role of an attacking Defender (association football)#Full-bac ...

(born 1961), footballer *

Guglielmo Vicario Guglielmo Vicario (born 7 October 1996) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Tottenham Hotspur and the Italy national team. Vicario started his professional career at Udinese but never played a first team m ...

(born 1996), footballer *

Afro Basaldella Afro Libio Basaldella (March 4, 1912 – July 24, 1976) was one of the most important Italian painter in the post-World War II period. He began as a member of the Scuola Romana, and then embracing nformal bstraction worked and had great ...

(1912–1976), painter *

Giuseppe Battiston Giuseppe Battiston (born 22 July 1968) is an Italian actor. He has appeared in more than 50 films since 1990. Filmography Film Television References External links * 1968 births Living people Italian male actors Pe ...

(born 1968), actor *

Enzo Bearzot Enzo Bearzot (; 26 September 1927 – 21 December 2010) was an Italian professional football player and manager. A defender and midfielder in his playing career, he also coached the Italy national team to victory in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. ...

(1927–2010), national football trainer *

Mario Benedetti Mario Benedetti Farrugia (; 14 September 1920 – 17 May 2009), was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet and an integral member of the Generación del 45. Despite publishing more than 80 books and being published in twenty languages, he ...

(1955–2020), poet *

Girolamo di Bernardino Girolamo di Bernardino or Girolamo da Bernardino, also known as Girolamo da Udine, (active around 1506) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. A painter of the Venetian school and a pupil of Pellegrino da San Daniele, he is known prima ...

, 16th-century painter of frescoes * Bernardino Blaceo, 16th-century painter * Emanuele Blandamura (born 1979), boxer *

Sebastiano Bombelli Sebastiano Bombelli (October 1635; 4 May 1719) was an Italian painter, mainly active in Venice, during the Baroque period. Biography He was born in Udine on 14 or 15 October 1635 (baptized on the 15th), educated and trained under the guidance ...

(1635–1719), Baroque and Rococò painter *

José Bragato José Bragato (12 October 1915 – 18 July 2017) was an Italian-born Argentine cellist, composer, conductor, arranger and musical archivist who, in his early career, was principal cellist in the Colón Theatre orchestra in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

(1915–2017), cellist and composer *

Carlo Caneva Carlo Caneva (22 April 1845, Udine – 25 September 1922, Rome) was an Italian general, known for having led the conquest of Libya in the Italo-Turkish War. Life Since his birthplace was then in the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia within the Austr ...

(1845–1922), major general * Eliana Cargnelutti (born 1989), blues rock musician *

Luca Carlevarijs Luca Carlevarijs or Carlevaris (20 January 1663 – 12 February 1730) was an Italian painter and engraver working mainly in Venice. He pioneered the genre of the cityscapes ('' vedute'') of Venice, a genre that was later widely followed by arti ...

(1663–1730), painter *

Elena Cecchini Elena Cecchini (born 25 May 1992) is an Italian racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . She competed in the 2013 UCI women's team time trial in Florence. Career In 2013 and 2014, she rode for the team. In November 201 ...

(born 1992), cyclist * Davide Cecotti (born 1973), professional football player *

Andrea Centazzo Andrea Centazzo (born 1948) is an Italian-born American composer, percussionist, multimedia artist and record label founder. Music career Centazzo was born in Udine, Italy. In the 1970s he played percussion in avant-garde jazz with John Zorn, ...

(born 1948), drummer and composer * Bruno Chizzo (1916–1969), footballer *

Giovanni da Udine 150px, Portrait in Vasari's Vite Giovanni Nanni, also Giovanni de' Ricamatori, better known as Giovanni da Udine (1487–1564), was an Italian painter and architect born in Udine. A painter also named ''Giovanni da Udine'' was exiled from his na ...

(1487–1564), painter (

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

) *

Raimondo D'Aronco Raimondo Tommaso D’Aronco (1857–1932) was an Italian architect renowned for his building designs in the style of Art Nouveau. He was the chief palace architect to the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II in Istanbul for 16 years. Early years D� ...

(1857–1932), architect * Mario David (1934–2005), football player and coach. *

Gualtiero Driussi Gualtiero Driussi (18 October 1920 – 24 March 1996) was an Italian politician and syndicalist, member of Italy's centrist party ''Christian Democracy'' and of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and founder of the first trade union in Udine, a bra ...

(1920–1996), politician *

Alfredo Foni Alfredo Foni (; 20 January 1911 – 28 January 1985) was an Italians, Italian football (soccer), footballer in the 1930s and later on a coach, who played as a Defender (association football), defender. He is one of only four players to have won ...

(1911–1985), football player and coach. * Fabio Frittelli (1966–2013), better known by his pseudonym

Mo-Do Fabio Frittelli (24 July 1966 – 6 February 2013), better known by his pseudonym Mo-Do, was an Italian musician. Mo-Do appeared in the 1990s as an Italian electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ ele ...

, an Italian musician *

Massimo Giacomini Massimo Giacomini (born 14 August 1939) is an Italian former football player and manager. Today, Giacomini is a TV pundit for the Italian television Udinese Channel. References External links Andrea Chiopris Gori Andrea Chiopris Gori (born 17 December 1977) is an Italian former footballer who played as a midfielder. He played his last professional championship for Serie C2 team Unione Sportiva Poggibonsi. In 2012, he closed his career in the Italian amat ...

(born 1977), former footballer *

Francesco Janich Francesco Janich (; 27 March 1937 – 2 December 2019) was an Italian footballer who played as a sweeper. Club career During his club career, Janich played for Atalanta (1956–58), Lazio (1958–61), and Bologna (1961–72) in Serie A, as well ...

(1937–2019), footballer *

Dalila Di Lazzaro Dalila Di Lazzaro (born 29 January 1953) is an Italian model, actress and writer. Life and career Born in Udine, Di Lazzaro started as a fashion model and was the subject of famous photographers such as Andy Warhol. She then gained attention ...

(born 1953), actress and model * Ernesto Lomasti (1959–1979), mountaineer * Guido Macor (born 1932), retired footballer *

Fabio Masotti Fabio Masotti (born 3 June 1974 in Udine) is an Italian amateur road and track cyclist. He has claimed four Italian national championship titles in track cycling (madison, and points race), and later represented his nation Italy at the 2008 Summ ...

(born 1974), cyclist *

Alberto Mazzucato Alberto Mazzucato (28 July 1813 – 31 December 1877) was an Italian composer, music teacher, and writer. Mazzucato was born in Udine. He trained at the Padua Conservatory and composed eight operas between 1834 and 1843, the most successful of ...

(1813–1877), composer and music teacher *

Tina Modotti Tina Modotti (born Assunta Adelaide Luigia Modotti Mondini, August 16/17, 1896 – January 5, 1942) was an Italian American photographer, model, actor, and revolutionary political activist for the Comintern. She left her native Italy in 1913 a ...

(1896–1942), photographer, actress, revolutionary *

Edi Orioli Edi Orioli (born 5 December 1962 in Udine) is an Italian rallying motorcycle racer. Many consider Orioli to be one of the best motorcyclists in rallying, with four victories in the Dakar Rally, and one victory in the Pharaoh Rally, and was conside ...

(born 1962), rallying motorcycle racer *

Francesco Pavona Francesco Pavona (, Udine – c. 1777, Venice) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was peripatetic, and became best known throughout Europe for pastel portraits, similar in style to Rosalba Carriera. Pavona first studied in Udine w ...

(1695–1777), Baroque painter * Daniele Petri (born 1980), Italian darts player *

Nicola Pezzetta Nicola Pezzetta (born 1963) is an Italian artist from Udine. Career While completing architectural studies at the Politecnico in Milan, Pezzetta started participating in international exhibitions in the early 1990s, showing artworks pertaining ...

(born 1963), artist and architect *

Luigi Pio Tessitori Luigi Pio Tessitori (13 December 1887, in Udine – 22 November 1919, in Bikaner) was an Italian Indologist and linguist. Biography Tessitori was born in the north-eastern Italian town of Udine on 13 December 1887, to Guido Tessitori, a worker ...

(1887–1919), indologist, linguist *

Alessandro Piu Alessandro Piu (born 30 July 1996) is an Italian footballer who plays as a forward for club Sestri Levante. Club career Piu is a youth exponent from Empoli. He made his team debut on 24 September 2015 against Atalanta. He started in the first ...

(born 1996), footballer *

Bruno Pizzul Bruno Pizzul (; 8 March 1938 – 5 March 2025) was an Italian journalist and a professional football player. He was best known for being the television commentator of matches involving the Italy national football team from 1986 to 2002. Footba ...

(born 1938), sports journalist and footballer *

Bruno Sacco Bruno Sacco (12 November 1933 – 19 September 2024) was an Italian automobile designer and chief engineer, who served as the head of styling at the Daimler-Benz AG, the German manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz automobiles and trucks, from 1975 t ...

(born 1933), car designer *

Alessia Tuttino Alessia Tuttino (born 15 March 1983) is an Italian football midfielder who plays for UPC Tavagnacco of Serie A and the Italy women's national football team. At club level she previously represented TC Rivignano, Foroni Verona, ASD Bardolino an ...

(born 1983), footballer * Elena Valentinis (1396–1458),

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Blessed professed religious *

Glauco Venier Glauco Venier (born 8 September 1962) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer. Life and career Venier was born in Sedegliano, Udine Udine ( ; ; ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli-Venezia G ...

(born 1962), jazz pianist and composer *

Giuseppe Virgili Giuseppe Virgili (; 24 July 1935 – 10 June 2016) was an Italian footballer who played as a forward. Club career Born in Udine, Virgili played for Udinese, Fiorentina, Torino, Bari, Livorno and Taranto at club level. International career Virgi ...

(1935–2016), Italian footballer (striker) * José Zanier (1905–1973), engineer *

Alessandro Zanni Alessandro Zanni (born 31 January 1984 in Udine) is a former Italian rugby union player who has played over 100 times for . His usual position was a number 8, but in national team and Benetton he has played openside flanker, blindside flanker an ...

(born 1984), rugby union player

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Udine is twinned with: *

Albacete Albacete ( , , ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, the area around the city is known as Los Llan ...

, Spain *

Esslingen am Neckar Esslingen am Neckar (Swabian German, Swabian: ''Esslenga am Neckor''; until 16 October 1964 officially '' Eßlingen am Neckar'') is a town in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, seat of the Esslingen (district), Distri ...

, Germany *

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

, Slovenia *

Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. Its principal towns are Neath, Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Pontardawe. The county borough borders Bridgend County Borough and Rhon ...

, Wales, United Kingdom *

Schiedam Schiedam () is a large town and municipality in the west of the Netherlands. It is located in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, west of the city Rotterdam, east of the town Vlaardingen and south of the city Delft. In the south, Schi ...

, Netherlands *

Vienne Vienne may refer to: Places *Vienne (department), a department of France named after the river Vienne *Vienne, Isère, a city in the French department of Isère * Vienne-en-Arthies, a village in the French department of Val-d'Oise * Vienne-en-Bessi ...

, France *

Villach Villach (; ; ; ) is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 61,887. Together wit ...

, Austria *

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

, Canada *

Yaoundé Yaoundé (; , ) is the Capital city, capital city of Cameroon. It has a population of more than 2.8 million which makes it the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region (Cameroon), Centre Region o ...

, Cameroon

Friendship

Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Fo ...

, India * Klagenfurt, Austria *

Óbuda-Békásmegyer Óbuda-Békásmegyer is the List of districts in Budapest, 3rd district of Budapest, Hungary. Landmarks * Aquincum, ruins of the Roman city * Óbuda Jewish Cemetery * Római Part (Roman Beach) History The military camp, then city of Aquincum, l ...

, Hungary *

Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski (; also known by #Etymology, alternative names), often simplified to Piotrków, is a city in central Poland with 71,252 inhabitants (2021). It is the capital of Piotrków County and the second-largest city in the Łódź Voi ...

, Poland * Resistencia, Argentina *

Velenje Velenje (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 4: ''Štajersko''. 1904. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 272.) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, sixth-largest city of Slovenia, and t ...

, Slovenia

References

External links

Udine homepage

on Italia.it

by Sunday Telegraph {{Authority control 983 establishments

Udine Udine ( ; ; ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the middle of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic Sea and the Carnic Alps. It is the capital of the Province of Udine, Regional decentralization entity ...

10th-century establishments in Italy Domini di Terraferma