Loggia di San Giovanni

The Loggia di San Giovanni, also known as the Porch of Saint John (Porticato di San Giovanni), is a historical monument located in Piazza della Libertà, in Udine.

SHORT HISTORY

Initially, in Piazza della Libertà, there was the Church of San Giovanni which, after the earthquake of 1511, was demolished and rebuilt by the Lombard architect Bernardino da Morcote. In addition to rebuilding the church, Bernardino da Morcote designed the homonymous Loggia.

Bernardino da Morcote had to face various difficulties during the building of the porch, because the new Loggia and the church had to lean on the already existing clock tower.

The Loggia, after years of neglect, was completely renovated in the second half of the 19th century, returning to its original splendor. In 1917, the Austrians occupied Udine and transformed the Loggia of San Giovanni into a guard post. On November 3, 1918, Udine was liberated from the Austrian dominion.

In 1921, Raimondo D’Aronco planned the restructuring of the church, transforming it into the Pantheon of the Fallen of the First World War. The works ended in December 1926.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The Porch of San Giovanni consists of a colonnade with a triumphal arch in the center, which leads to the Temple of the Fallen.

Inside, under the dome, there is a statue by Aurelio Mistruzzi depicting Victory and a fresco by Enrico Miani. The gate that closes the entrance to the temple was made by Alberto Calligaris.

On the right wing of the colonnade, we can find the busts of the Lieutenants Pietro Capello and Carlo Corner. At the end of the portico, there is a sundial dating back to 1798. It consists of a sun made of bronze, with a hole inside. In the left wing, there are three busts of Giovanni Battista Cella, Antonino di Prampero and Gabriele Luigi Pecile.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Porch of Saint Giovanni is located about 1.1 kilometers away from the Udine railway station. The closest bus stop is in Piazza della Libertà, right in front of the building, on the bus Line M.