What connects footballers, Huns and Otto II - the history of the Udine city
Every day, while walking along the streets of cities, we see the architecture that surrounds us. Have you ever wondered what inspired its creators? What formed them? What’s their story? Learn about the past of the beautiful city of Udine and its inhabitants in this article.
The most important information about Udine
The Italian city of Udine (in Friulano Udin) is located in the center of the Frisilian region. It is situated in the plain around the hill. It is inhabited by about 96,000 people. In addition to its visual qualities, Udine is also known from the football team – Udinese Calcio.
The origins of Udine- Legend
The area where Udine is located has been inhabited since antiquity. It was chosen because of strategic reasons. In case of danger, the first inhabitants could take refuge on a hill located in the center of Udine. But how did it actually happen that the hill appeared in the middle of a flat surface ? It all started with the victory of the ancient tribe of Huns over the city of Aquileia. Their leader – Atylla, wanted to enjoy his victory, therefore he ordered a high vantage point to be built. It took the soldiers days to come up with a solution because they were not used to mental effort. In the end they made it !!! 🙂 Together they built a high hill. They did this with their own helmets.
Udine on paper
Although, based on the research of archaeologists, Udine was already inhabited in antiquity. The first written source mentioning this city dates at 983. The contenporary Emperor Otto II mentioned the castle of Udine in his imperial diploma. Then, in 1238, Patriarch Berthold of Andechs ordain the city the religious and administrative capital of the contenporary patriarchate. By then a term of development and wealth began for Udine.
A period of defeat, anxiety
The city was destroyed during The First and The Second World Wars. Accordingly Udine lost many historical and valuable buildings. However, soon after the destruction of the world conflict had been rebuilt, an earthquake occurred. The year 1976 brought many losses. The castle suffered the most. During the earthquake about one thousand people lost their lives and many countries were damaged in the province of Udine. Fortunately, the city still delights with architecture and culture. It is definitely worth seeing!