Mixed origins
Long a land of invasions and battles, Friuli retains traces of the many peoples who occupied it, including the Celts and Romans. In Aquileia, founded in 181BC by the Romans, you can stroll among the Roman remains inherited from the Empire. The city became a prosperous commercial, cultural and military crossroads. The site is home to the Basilica di Aquileia, a Christian monument famous for its 4th-century mosaic floor. Covering more than 1,300 square metres, these mosaics are among the best preserved of the great achievements of the Christian world. Symbols of wealth and power, mosaics in basilic churches convey religious teachings.
The early Christian basilica in Trieste is also home to some remarkable mosaics. They form a veritable portrait gallery of great expressiveness. Overall, the mosaics reflect the wealth of the city and the church. Built in the 4th and5th centuries, the building was discovered beneath the present-day Cattedrale di San Giusto. In an apse, the famous mosaic depicting Mary and San Giusto, the town's patron saint, dates back to the 13th century.
Lombard art
The Lombard people settled in Friuli from 568 onwards. They came from Scandinavia and brought with them their own artistic traditions. There was a strong Germanic influence, mixed with Byzantine influences. This is reflected in a taste for ornamental elements.
Following the Lombards' conversion to Catholicism, the region became the cradle of many artists and writers, as evidenced by the Little Lombard Temple, Tempietto Longobardo in Cividale del Friuli. The relief decorations, including splendid stucco saints, combine classical models with a wealth of Byzantine ornamentation. In Cividale, a stopover at the Calixtus Baptistery in the cathedral's Museo Cristiano is a must. The section devoted to Lombard heritage houses the sculpted altar of the Duke of Ratchis (737-744). The Christ on the throne, surrounded by angels playing the mandola, is of superb craftsmanship. The Lombards were not only outstanding sculptors, but also excellent goldsmiths. Their stylized crosses are adorned with decorative and animal motifs, or set with precious stones. Lombard culture flourished until 774, when Charlemagne arrived in Italy.
Giovanni da Udine
Painter and architect born in Udine in 1487, Giovanni Nanni was a pupil and later collaborator of the great High Renaissance maestro Raphael. As such, he executed most of the decorative elements for the master's major projects in Rome. Considered a specialist in stucco decorations, Giovanni da Udine designed the Vatican Lodges and the Villa Farnesina. He drew his inspiration from the grotesques discovered in the Esquiline caves, as well as from his love of nature, which he drew from observation. Animals, flowers, fruit and vegetables, and sea monsters populate his endlessly inventive creations.
Back in Friuli, he was appointed chief architect of the city. In Civile, he helped build Santa Maria dei Battuti, and the Fountain in Piazza Nuova. He died in Rome in 1555.
From the 15th century onwards, the region was divided into Venetian Friuli, with Udine as its capital, and Austrian Friuli, with Trieste as its first city. Venetian and Austrian cultures blended more than ever in the region.
Udine and Tiepolo
The career of the painter and engraver Giambattista Tiepolo, who was born in Venice in 1696 and died in Madrid in 1770, is characteristic of the Europe of the Enlightenment. The son of a merchant ship captain, Tiepolo trained in the studios of the Venetian artists Lazzarini and Piazzetta. He went on to work at several of Europe's great courts, enriching his Baroque style on his travels. He also distinguished himself in the art of fresco.
In Udine, his palette brightened when he was called upon to create the frescoes for the chapel and the Patriarchal Palace, which he completed in 1730. The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1726) recounts the rebellion of the angels, who are expelled from paradise. In the Palazzo Patriarchale, now the Museo diocesano - Galleria del Tiepolo, we can also admire the fresco Rachel hiding the idols, the Apparition of the angel to Sarah.
It was in Udine that he freed himself from his academic training, and let his colors and emotions explode. Following this commission, his contemporaries recognized him as a master of fresco. He was in great demand, particularly in Bergamo, Venice and Milan. The Musei di Storia ed Arte di Trieste houses the world's largest collection of Tiepolo's drawings. Housed in an 18th-century villa, the Civico Museo Sartorio holds several of his drawings, as well as the Triptych of Santa Chiara, painted by Paolo and Marco Veneziano in 1328.
The rise of the 19th century
In the 19th century, Trieste became the main port of a powerful monarchy. Thanks to its free port, the city experienced unparalleled development. The population was enriched by inhabitants who flocked from all over Europe to build churches. All the arts were encouraged. The Civico Museo d'Antichita Winckelmann was created in 1843 as a lapidary garden, with the cenotaph of Johann Joachim Winckelmann at its heart.
Born in 1870 in Nimis, in the province of Udine, Tita or Giambattista Gori received a classical and religious education. This multilingual man of letters went on to study in Venice, at the Accademia di belle Arti. Back in Nimis, he pursued a dual career as a painter and innkeeper. His clients frequently served as models. Tita Gori acquired a certain popularity in the eastern part of Friuli, where he practiced his art. From 1884, he painted frescoes for the church in Monteprato. This commission was followed by the monumental Sacra Familia, which he painted in the church of Madonna delle Pianelle in Nimis (1889). In 1897, he began work on his most significant project, the Lombard church of Saints Gervais and Portais in Nimis. The restoration and frescoing of this edifice kept him busy until 1912. The spiritually charged style is characterized by poetry and symbolism. His frescoes can still be admired in the Savorgnano church and in the chapel of the Udine psychiatric hospital. Some of his paintings are kept in the parish church of Cergneu and at the Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Udine.
The Museum of Art and History shares the Castello - Musei Civici with other museums dedicated to ancient art, archaeology, drawings and prints, as well as photography. The Museum of Photography houses exceptional archives, including works by the most important photographers who worked in Udine in the 19th century, such as Pignat, Bujatti and Brisighelli.
Afro and abstraction
Under Austrian protection since the late 14th century, Friuli-Venezia Giulia became Italian in 1918, before being annexed by Germany in 1943.
Between these two dates, Udine-born Afro Basaldella made a major contribution to the development of abstraction throughout the region. Afro was introduced to art by his father, a painter and decorator. He continued his studies at the Beaux-Arts in Florence and Venice, before moving to Milan. In Arturo Martini's studio, he made friends with the art scene of the time. His first exhibition took place in 1934, and he subsequently exhibited at the Rome Quadriennale and the Venice Biennale.
It was only after the Second World War that Basaldella turned to neocubism. He then moved to New York, where his art rapidly evolved into abstract art. Recognized as the best Italian artist at the 1956 Venice Biennale, he joined the Gruppo degli Otto, an association of Italian non-figurative painters. In 1958, alongside Mirò, he was commissioned to paint the mural at Unesco headquarters in Paris. His career continued until 1976, when he died in Switzerland.
The works of the man known in Italy as Afro are exhibited in the world's leading institutions. In Trieste, Basaldella's abstract art can be admired at the Civico Museo Revoltella.
Contemporary scene
Trieste lives with the times. The creation of the Alinari Image Museum (AIM) in 2016, located in the Castello di San Giusto, gives pride of place to multimedia art. Using digital technology, the museum takes visitors on a visual journey through the history of photography. Exceptional access to the world's oldest photographic archives.
Among the capital's art galleries, Mlz Art Dep (Via Roma, 15), opened in 2014 by Marco Lorenzetti, is resolutely focused on contemporary art: video, painting, sculpture, photography and installation, all mediums are represented to promote young creation at its most innovative.
On the street side, Trieste is slowly but surely coming to terms with urban art. Over the last ten years, murals have begun to appear in the suburbs, off the beaten tourist track.
The Chromopolis project launched in 2016 invites the population to reappropriate public space. Overseen by city councillor De Santis, the initiative supports the rehabilitation of neighborhoods. La Lanterna, Stade Grezar, Stadio Nereo Rocco, Skate Park d'Altura have benefited from this artistic project based on sharing and innovation. To this end, young artists and citizens combine their talents with the sole aim of reinventing the site. Freedom of expression is the order of the day. Much more than one-off interventions, the aim is to integrate urban art into everyday life. To this end, the Trieste Street Art Festival, postponed due to the pandemic, will soon see the light of day. Its main objective? To showcase local artists. We're looking forward to some great discoveries!
