Udine Cathedral is the most important religious building in the city and houses precious treasures such as the altarpieces painted by Giacomo Martini and Gianbattista Tiepolo. Its construction, in the place where a church dedicated to San Girolamo already existed, dates back to 1236 by patriarch Bertoldo of Andechs-Merania,
In 1257 the church, which at that time had a typical Franciscan structure, was used for worship and dedicated to St. Odoric. Subsequent enlargements date back to 1335 when patriarch Bertrando of San Genesio started the construction of the Chapel of the Annunziata and consecrated the sacred building with the title of Santa Maria Maggiore.
During the following centuries the structure underwent several changes: in the fourteenth century the side chapels were added while in the sixteenth century, by Domenico Rossi and Abondio Stazio, the entire complex took on a Baroque style.
During the twentieth century, instead, the façade was revised according to the fourteenth-century architectural canons. Still today it is possible to admire the Romanesque-Gothic style of this beautiful brick façade, in which the Portal of Redemption stands out, recalling some important themes of the Christian religion. The interior of the Cathedral, enriched in the 18th century thanks to the Manin family, is a Baroque triumph and is worth a visit especially for the works by Tiepolo: the altarpiece in the Chapel of the Holy Trinity and that of Saints Ermacora and Fortunato, the frescoes in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The Chapel of San Nicolò houses the oldest paintings in the Duomo: they date back to the 14th century. The Duomo Museum houses frescoes, paintings and sculptures from 1300 to 1400, as well as a rich collection of sacred ornaments, scira jewellery and textile art.
Next to the Duomo stands the massive bell tower, built by Cristoforo da Milano and dating back to 1441.
