All Churches in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

The Church of San Giorgio is a beautiful church in Pordenone, located in Largo San Giorgio, in the northern part of the historical center of the town.   SHORT HISTORY A small chapel dedicated to San Giorgio is mentioned in the will of Ricchiero Ricchieri, dated back to 1347, through which he provided a sum of money for its maintenance. In 1588, following the growth of the city, the chapel was elevated to a parish. The church was enlarged in 1625, and again starting with 1792 on the initiative of Don Lorenzo Grigoletti, uncle of the painter Michelangelo Grigoletti. The church was completed only in 1873, when the monument was consecrated and the Neoclassical facade designed by the Pordenone artist Giovanni Battista Bassi was finished. The bell tower, begun in 1852 to a design by the same architect, was completed only in 1914. In 1975, a general restoration of the church was carried out, with the reconstruction of the roof, the external plaster and the exterior painting. The church was inaugurated on Christmas 1975, but the 1976 earthquake caused further damages to its structure. Between 2001 and 2002, the building underwent further consolidation and conservative restoration.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Read more [...]

The Cathedral of San Marco, known also as the Duomo di San Marco, is the Cathedral of Pordenone, dedicated to Saint Mark. The cathedral is located in the historical center of the town, in Piazza San Marco, a few meters from the Communal Palace.   SHORT HISTORY The Cathedral of Saint Mark was built starting from the second half of the 13th century, in Romanesque-Gothic style, on the remains of a previous church. The imposing bell tower was completed in 1347, and raised to 79.47 meters in the 17th century, when the spire was added. The first restoration interventions were carried out in 1938. Later, in 1940, the 15th century frescoes were found in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul and the Resurrection fresco in the sacristy. The first global restoration project of the entire cathedral began in 1956 and was carried out on several steps, also by demolishing some surrounding buildings. Inside, the decoration of the dome of the transept was brought to light. Between 1965 and 1975, the floor was restored, under which some tombstones were found. On this occasion, the roof of the nave was rehabilitated following the original construction schemes. After the 1976 Friuli earthquake, Read more [...]

The Church of San Francesco is one of the oldest churches in Udine, now deconsecrated and used for temporary exhibitions. The church is located in Piazza Girolamo Venerio, about 160 meters away from the Cathedral of Udine and about 350 meters away from the Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY The presence of the first Franciscan convent in Udine is documented in 1259. The consecration of the Church of San Francesco, built nearby, dates back to July 1266, and was celebrated by Alberto da Colle, the bishop of Concordia. In 1769, the Municipality of Udine acquired the convent with the intention of turning it into a hospital. The convent was used as a hospital until 1920s, while the Church of San Francesco was used as a deposit. The church was heavily damaged by the bombing of the Second World War, then restored. In the last few decades, the church was used for temporary exhibitions, especially by local artists. The convent, on the other hand, was first used as a history museum and, after a long and heavy restoration, it became the Court of Udine.   ARCHITECTURE The church is a simple Romanesque construction, following the strict Franciscan rules – gabled Read more [...]

The Church of San Giacomo is a church in Udine, located in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, about 230 meters away from Piazza della Libertà and Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY The structure was built in 1378, initially as a chapel, which was later enlarged. The facade of the church dates back to 1525, and was built by the architect and sculptor Bernardino da Morcote.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE On the facade, above the main portal of the church, there is a balcony and two mullioned windows. Above the balcony, we can find the clock, surmounted by the belfry. The interior of the church was heavily transformed during the Baroque period. The ceiling was decorated by Pietro Venier with Stories of Saint James. Inside, we can find beautiful works of art. Placed on the first altar on the right, there is The Virgin with Saints Apollonia and Agata by Fulvio Griffoni, dating back to the 17th century. On the second altar on the right, there is San Fabio interceding for souls in purgatory, a work by Pietro Venier dating back to the 18th century. On the first altar on the left, we can find The Virgin surrounded by saints by Antonio Read more [...]

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is the cathedral of Udine. The church is located in Piazza del Duomo, about 150 meters away from Piazza della Libertà and Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY The works on the cathedral began in 1236, at the behest of the patriarch of Aquileia, Bertoldo of Andechs-Merania. At first, the church was dedicated to Saint Odoric. In 1257, the building was already open for worship. In 1335, it was consecrated with the title of Santa Maria Maggiore. The disastrous earthquake of 1348 caused serious damage to the cathedral, but did not stop its religious activity. Only in 1368, the Venetian architect Pierpaolo dalle Masegne was called for the restoration of the church. He strengthened the walls, rebuilt the roof and made changes to the facade, including the replacement of the central rose window. Also, the two minor rose windows, corresponding to the side aisles, were modified, by inserting a fake loggia decoration between them. In the 18th century, the cathedral was almost completely transformed by the architect Domenico Rossi. In 1735, when the works were completed, the patriarch Daniele Delfino rededicated the church to Santa Maria Annunziata.   ARCHITECTURE The main portal, called the Read more [...]

The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, also known as the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a church in Trieste, located at the foot of the San Giusto Hill.   SHORT HISTORY The history of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is closely linked to that of the Jesuit congregation of Trieste. In 1619, two Jesuits, Giuseppe Mezler and Gregorio Salateo, arrived in Trieste. Thanks to its good relationship with the government of the time, the Jesuit order developed rapidly. The congregation commissioned the construction of a school, which is now located next to the current Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Shortly after, it was decided to build the church, dedicated to the Madonna, which became the largest church in the city at that time. The first stone was laid on October 10, 1627, by the bishop Rinaldo Scarlicchio. However, the completion of the church took decades. When the church was consecrated on October 11, 1682, by the bishop Giacomo Ferdinando Gorizutti, the roof of the building was still partially uncovered. In November of the same year, the church’s wooden dome was destroyed by a fire that broke out in a nearby oil mill. When Read more [...]

The Cathedral of San Giusto is the cathedral of Trieste, dedicated to Saint Justus of Trieste. The church is located on the top of the homonymous hill, overlooking the city, only a few meters from the San Giusto Castle. Saint Justus of Trieste is a Roman Catholic saint, martyred on November 2, 293. Because he refused to worship the Roman gods, he was found guilty of sacrilege and sentenced to death by drowning. SHORT HISTORY Two churches were erected on this site between the 9th and 11th century – one dedicated to Saint Mary of the Assumption, and the other to San Giusto. Between 1302 and 1320, Bishop Rodolfo Pedrazzani joined the two existing churches under one roof, also building a simple asymmetrical facade. Between 1337 and 1343, the bell tower of the former church of Santa Maria was restored, being covered with a thick wall, but the works on the church were completed at the end of the century. The bell tower was originally higher, but in 1422 it was struck by lightning and was reduced to its current height. On November 27, 1385, the first German bishop of Trieste, Enrico de Wildenstein, consecrated the main altar of the Read more [...]

The Church of Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo, commonly known as the Church of Sant’Antonio Nuovo, is the largest Catholic church in Trieste. The church, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, is located on the square with the same name, at the end of the Grand Canal of Trieste.   SHORT HISTORY A private chapel dedicated to the Annunciation stood on this place until the middle of the 18th century. After the chapel was opened to the public, the structure became insufficient for worshippers, so it was decided to raise a larger church dedicated to Sant’Antonio Nuovo. Around 1771, the church was completed, but soon the new structure became also inadequate for the large number of believers who attended the services. Therefore, in 1808, a competition was held for a new church dedicated to Saint Anthony. The same year, the Neoclassical project of the Swiss architect Pietro Nobile won the competition. However, the work began only in 1825, and the consecration of the imposing church took place only in 1849. In 1958, the two pipe organs of the church were built by the Mascioni company, both with electric transmission.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade of the church is characterized by a majestic Read more [...]