Aquileia
Capital of the Roman Regio X Venetia et Istria: the ruins of a great imperial city and the Basilica's extraordinary mosaics.
Tour details
Guided tour
Cividale del Friuli
The Lombard capital above the emerald Natisone
1.5 to 2.5 hoursFriuli Venezia Giulia
Founded by Julius Caesar as Forum Iulii, the town that gave Friuli its name sits high above the Natisone river, where emerald water flows beneath the Devil's Bridge. In 568 the Lombards made it the capital of their first duchy in Italy, and their treasures still shape its streets.
The story
Legend says the Devil's Bridge was built in a single night by the devil himself, who asked in return for the soul of the first to cross. The clever Cividalesi sent a cat. From the bridge, the view of the river gorge and the old houses perched on the rock is unforgettable.
Hidden above the river stands the Tempietto Longobardo, the Lombard Temple: an 8th-century chapel with six stucco saints of haunting elegance, part of the UNESCO site Longobards in Italy, Places of Power. Nearby, the Christian Museum keeps the carved Altar of Ratchis and the Baptistery of Callixtus.
Beneath an ordinary-looking house, steps lead down into the Celtic Hypogeum, a cluster of underground chambers carved into the rock, with mysterious masks on the walls. Nobody knows for certain who dug it, or why.
In pictures
What we'll see
- The Devil's BridgeA legendary bridge over the emerald Natisone, with the best view in town.
- The Lombard TempleAn 8th-century chapel and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its six stucco saints.
- Christian MuseumThe Altar of Ratchis and the Baptistery of Callixtus, masterpieces of Lombard art.
- The Celtic HypogeumMysterious underground rooms carved into the rock beneath the town.
A taste of Cividale del Friuli
Cividale is the home of gubana, a spiral pastry filled with walnuts, raisins and grappa; locals like a few drops of slivovitz poured over a slice. The surrounding Colli Orientali hills produce Ribolla Gialla, Friulano and the precious sweet Picolit.
Ready to discover Cividale del Friuli?
Tell me your dates and group size, and I'll shape the visit around you. It can also be combined with a winery or another town on the same day.
More places to explore
All destinations
Trieste and Miramare
Miramare castle, residence of Maximilian of Austria, and its park of rare and exotic trees, with the elegant city of Trieste.
Tour details
Palmanova
A UNESCO site: the Renaissance fortress town built in the shape of a nine-pointed star.
Tour details