Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, also known as Piazza San Giacomo or Mercato Nuovo (New Market), is a beautiful square in Udine, located about 120 meters away from Piazza della Libertà and Loggia del Lionello. SHORT HISTORY Piazza San Giacomo is the oldest square in Udine after Piazza della Libertà. The square appeared in the 13th century to house the new city market, hence the name Mercato Nuovo. After the Second World War, the square was named after the deputy Giacomo Matteotti, assassinated by Fascists in 1924. Until the 1980s, the square was a rather infamous area. Today, home to numerous bars and restaurants, Piazza Giacomo Matteotti is the heart of the nightlife in Udine and one of the busiest places in the city. ARCHITECTURE The square is surrounded by buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. Some of the buildings are still embellished by frescoes with geometric and floral decorations. The central part of the square has a large base of stone blocks. In the center of the square, there is a fountain built in 1543 by the stonemason Mastro Cipriano, on a project by the famous architect Giovanni da Udine. Also in the square, we can find the Read more [...]
All Squares in Udine
In Italy, a city square, commonly found at the meeting of two or more streets, is a piazza. Every Italian city has a piazza or more, with streets radiating from the center, with green areas and places to rest. As key points in a city, in the squares you can find shops and public transport stations, but the Italians use it especially for evening walks and meetings with friends. Also, the city's main events take place in the central square.
The worlds best known square may be the Piazza San Marco, in Venice, but we must not forget other beautiful squares like Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Piazza del Campo in Siena, Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa, Prato della Valle in Padua, Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, Piazza San Pietro in Vatican, Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna in Rome, or Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. Moreover, every town in Italy, no matter how small, has a beautiful main square that we invite you to discover.
Piazza della Libertà
Piazza della Libertà, also known as Piazza Libertà, is the oldest square in Udine, located in the valley below the Castle of Udine. SHORT HISTORY Piazza Libertà changed its name several times over the centuries. During the Middle Ages, the square was known as Piazza del Vino (Square of the Wine). In 1350, after the town council established there, the square took the name of Piazza del Comune, and after 1500, with the arrival of the Venetians, it took the name of one of the lieutenants, becoming Piazza Contarena. After the unification of Friuli with Italy in 1866, the square was dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II. An equestrian monument dedicated to the King was inaugurated on August 26, 1883, and transfered in 1947 to the Ricasoli Gardens. Only after the Second World War, the square was named Piazza della Libertà. ARCHITECTURE The most important building in the square is the Town Hall, Loggia del Lionello, a palace in Venetian Gothic style, built between 1448 and 1457 after a design by Nicolò Lionello. Opposite the Town Hall, we can find the Loggia di San Giovanni, built in 1533 by the Lombard architect Bernardino da Morcote. As an integral part Read more [...]