L'INFORMATORE DEL MARMISTA

NR. 596 / AUGUST 2011

A MINIATURE VENICE IN THE HEART OF UDINE
Anyone visiting Udine for the first time, on arriving in Piazza della Libertà (formerly Piazza Contarena) often and readily experiences a typical sensation of “déjà vu”. The images unfolding before the eyes of visitors may seem a little shrunken but they certainly recall something already known and admired. The explanation of this phenomenon has no need of recourses to more or less daring theories, such as reincarnation. One only has to acknowledge that there are undoubted and evident similarities with certain well known corners of the Serene Republic. The most evocative corner focuses on the Loggia del Lionello, built in the Venetian Gothic style of the mid-XV century under the supervision of Bartolomeo delle Cisterne, originally from Capodistria but especially active in the Friuli area. It is linked to the majestic building of Raimondo d’Aronco to form the Town Hall complex and reflects the Renaissance typology of the palaces in the lagoon city. The lower band is surrounded by a balustrade and supported by columns carved by Pietro Bagattella, while the first floor reverses the distribution of solids and voids to create a picturesque play of light. The delightful decorated face with alternating strips of white and pink stone and mullions, gives the overall structure a strong sense of austere elegance. ...