CIVIDALE AND ITS ENVIRONS

The Lombard Temple
After a short but suggestive way along the Natisone gorge the visitor reaches, not far from the Cathedral, the Lombard Temple famous for its stucco and fresco ornaments of the 8th century and for the finely carved wood seats of the 15th century. The small chapel used to be part of the district which belonged to the Lombard King, then became the heart of a convent which housed Benedectine nuns before becoming the property of Ursuline nuns. On the western wall there is a beautiful "Procession of Virgins and Martyrs" on top and the "Vine Arch" below which looks like lace rather than stucco. Under the central vault a triumphant "Christ in Judgement" of the 14th century.

The Devil's Bridge
It dates back to the second half of the 15th century (rebuilt after 1917); it is supported by two impressive arches and it rests on a big stone which, according to the legend, was thrown into the water by the devil himself. It is 22 m high over the Natisone river and 50 m long. It has become the symbol of Cividale by now.

The Celtic Hypogeum
Known as the " Roman prison ", it is an interesting unit of artificial grottoes carved out on different levels at the bottom of three flights of steep stairs (open to via Monastero Maggiore n. 2). On the walls there are cut heads, perhaps going back to the celtic period (third century B.C.), which give evidence of a probable funerary use of the site.

Natisone Valleys
Evocative valleys wind along the Natisone river and its tributaries. Here the visitor meets with an incontaminate nature (above all woods, meadows, small fields under cultivation), a typical human milieu and an architectonic environment made of mountain huts (over Mt. Matajur 1600 m high), of natural parks (Bosco Romagno between Cividale and Prepotto) and of small villages reach in historical, linguistic, folkloristic and oeno-gastronomic traditions, (wines coming from the hills; "poor" but tasty dishes from the valleys; "gubana" - typical cake - better if washed down with good "grappa" brandy -).

San Giovanni D'Antro
The cave in San Giovanni d'Antro, not far from San Pietro al Natisone in the neighbourhood of Cividale, is one of the most significant monuments in the valleys for natural, historical and religious reasons. It is only in part open to the public, who can admire the "small Hypogeum church" with a gild wood altar of 1600.

Castelmonte
You cannot miss a visit to the sanctuary of Castelmonte in the neighbourhood of Cividale. It is a unit probably risen as a Roman stationing, then become a village with the church (in documents of 1244 and 1247 Santa Maria del Monte was considered one of the most important churches in the Patriarchate of Aquileia). The sanctuary underwent restoration in 1600; the present facade dates to 1930. Not only people from Friuli, but also.from Carniola, Carinzia and Croazia worshipped the sanctuary which preserves a statue of the Virgin Mary in calcareous stone of 1400. The sanctuary altars are typical of the Venetian art and date back to the 12th century; the votive offerings are also interesting as an expression of faith and genuine art.