Lombard Temple of Cividale

The Tempietto Longobardo in Cividale del Friuli dates from the mid-8th century and was probably commissioned by Duke Astolfo and his wife Giseltrude. It was probably first the chapel of the local ruler, and later part of the convent of Santa Maria in Valle; the nuns donated it to the town in 1893. A square space with a cross vault is followed by a lower chancel. The stucco work shows six saints, and there are also frescoes and carved choir stalls. Since 2011 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Lombards in Italy".

From about 568 Cividale was the capital of the first Lombard duchy in Italy. In the Museo Cristiano e Tesoro del Duomo (MUCRIS) you can see the Altar of Duke Ratchis and the Tegurium of Callistus. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale in the Palazzo Pretorio, a 16th-century building whose plans are attributed to Palladio, focuses on the Lombard period.

Half an hour is enough for the Tempietto, half a day for the town with its museums. You can then walk to the Devil's Bridge over the Natisone. Cividale can be reached from Udine by train and bus; on a weekend in the second half of August the Palio di San Donato takes place, a medieval festival with contests between the town's districts.