Udine Cathedral

 Udine Cathedral is the city's most important and imposing church. It is situated in the charming Piazza Duomo, a few steps from the main streets of Udine's city centre.
It was built in 1236 by Patriarch Berthold of Andechs-Merania in the place in which there was a church dedicated to St. Jerome.
In 1257 the church, which had a typical Franciscan structure, was destined to worship and dedicated to St. Odoric. Following enlargements can be dated back to 1335, when Patriarch Bertram of St. Genesius started the construction of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation and consecrated the sacred building with the title of St. Mary Major.
During the following centuries the church was subjected to various modifications: the side chapels were added in the 14th century, whereas in the 16th century, thanks to Domenico Rossi and Abondio Stazio, the whole complex took on a Baroque style.
In the twentieth century, on the other hand, the salient façade was modified according to the fourteenth-century architectural canons. Today it is still possible to see the Romanesque-Gothic style of the Cathedral brick façade, in which the Portal of Redemption stands out, recalling some important Christian themes.

Next to the Cathedral is the imposing bell tower, built by Cristoforo da Milano and dating back to 1441. Instead of being squat as it is today, it should have been soaring and surmounted by the statue of the Virgin. The original project, in fact, aimed at letting it communicate in height with the bell tower of the Castle, where the statue of the Angel stands out, thus symbolically recreating the Annunciation.
Moreover, on the ground floor of the bell tower it is possible to visit the Cathedral Museum dedicated to Blessed Bertram of St. Genesius.

The Cathedral interior is dominated by Baroque style. Thanks to the magnanimity of the Manin family (whose mausoleums are preserved here) and to the eighteenth-century reform, in fact, the interior architecture was made more gorgeous. The magnificent presbytery and masterpieces by internationally renowned artists stand out.
In the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament you can see works by Giambattista Tiepolo. Other remarkable artists who contributed to enrich the Cathedral are Pomponio Amalteo, il Pordenone, Pellegrino da San Daniele, il Torretti (Canova's master), Domenico da Tolmezzo, Dorigny (the author of the vaults).