Cividale, the Lombard stuccoes of the early-medieval Tempietto

Cividale del Friuli almost never appears on the itineraries of those visiting the north-east. And yet this town on the banks of the Natisone was once Forum Iulii, the heart of the first Lombard duchy of Italy. Those who make it here usually seek out the Devil's Bridge or the tables along the river, but the true treasure is reached by climbing the alleys of the monastic complex of Santa Maria in Valle. The Tempietto is a small, intimate room, and for that very reason it keeps an intimacy that the great monuments lost long ago.

Inside the Tempietto

Once across the threshold you understand why scholars regard it as unique. The wall above the doorway is decorated with female figures in stucco, slender and almost suspended, modelled with a refinement that astonishes for the early age in which they were made. Around them remain traces of frescoes, carved capitals, a wooden choir added in later centuries. The light enters obliquely through the small windows and caresses the relief of the stuccoes: an effect that no reproduction conveys, and one best savoured when the room is empty.

Heritage without the crowds

And empty it often is. Cividale is a World Heritage Site for its Lombard legacy, yet the flow of visitors stays modest compared with the nearby destinations. You can pause before the stuccoes without a crush, listen to the sound of the Natisone flowing right beneath the windows, and take the time to truly look.

When to go

To avoid even the few organised groups, it is best to come out of season, on autumn or late-winter mornings. Pair a visit to the Christian Museum and the Tempietto with a slow wander through the town, perhaps tasting the gubana. It is a smart alternative to the crowds of Venice or Aquileia, and a way to give attention to a place that would deserve far more.

Related guides: Unusual Friuli Venezia Giulia: hidden villages and little-known places · Alternatives to Venice: towns and villages on the water far from the crush · A slow weekend in Friuli Venezia Giulia: Cividale, Palmanova and Carnia.

Getting there

The Tempietto is in the old town of Cividale del Friuli, a few steps from the Duomo and the famous Devil's Bridge. By train the most convenient route is to reach Udine and continue on the frequent Udine–Cividale line; from Cividale station the centre is about a ten-minute walk. By car you arrive from Udine following the signs for Cividale, while the reference airport is Trieste–Ronchi dei Legionari.

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