Gemona del Friuli

The cathedral and the rebirth

On the slopes of Monte Glemina, at the edge of the Friulian plain where it meets the Alps, Gemona del Friuli is a town of ancient origin, which in the Middle Ages prospered thanks to its position on the trade route between Venice and the German lands, as a stopping place for goods. Its name is forever linked to the terrible earthquake of 1976, whose epicentre was very close: on the evening of 6 May 1976, and then again in September, the earthquake destroyed much of the town, causing about four hundred deaths among its inhabitants. The reconstruction of Gemona, carried out with great determination by the inhabitants with the help of the State, volunteers and the solidarity of many countries, became part of the so-called "Friulian model", based on the principle of rebuilding first the factories, then the houses, then the churches, and on the active participation of the population.

The symbol of the town is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a splendid Romanesque-Gothic church of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, seriously damaged by the earthquake and carefully restored, whose façade is decorated with a large rose window and a gallery of statues of kings. On the façade stands a gigantic statue of Saint Christopher, about seven metres high, sculpted in 1331-1332, one of the largest medieval stone statues in Italy. The castle, which dominates the town and was almost completely destroyed, has also been rebuilt, and the historic centre, with its arcaded street, the Via Bini, has regained its medieval appearance. A museum and a photographic exhibition tell the story of the earthquake and the reconstruction.

Tip: visit the cathedral and look at the photos of its state after the earthquake; walk up to the castle for the view of the plain.

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