Piazza San Giacomo (Piazza Matteotti)

Beneath Udine's castle hill, Piazza San Giacomo preserves the form of an old market square, with a raised stone pavement, arcades and frescoed façades. A fountain attributed to Giovanni da Udine and the church of San Giacomo anchor the ensemble.

Why it matters

The square developed in the thirteenth century as Udine expanded and required a new marketplace. Its former names, Piazza delle Erbe and Mercato Nuovo, recall that commercial role; San Giacomo refers to the church of the merchants' guild, while Piazza Matteotti is the modern name. The porticoes and surrounding buildings preserve the square's civic and commercial character.

What to notice

The raised stone plateatico occupies the centre of the square. Nearby stand the fountain of 1543, attributed to Giovanni da Udine, and a column with the Madonna and Child dated 1487. Arcades line the north, east and south sides, where fifteenth- and sixteenth-century murals survive alongside a late-fourteenth-century fresco of Saint Bartholomew. The western side includes the church of San Giacomo, the Cappella delle Anime, Casa Ottelio-Giacomelli and a fifteenth-century well. Carved stone shells on the church façade refer to Saint James.

Context and history

The church of San Giacomo was standing by 1398 and was built at the request of the Confraternita dei pellicciai, the furriers' guild. Its patron, Saint James, was chosen as protector of merchants trading in the square. The surrounding houses and their frescoes record the area's medieval and Renaissance prosperity. As the market moved elsewhere, the square's arcades took on new civic and commercial uses; its fountain, column, well and raised pavement remain defining parts of the historic monumental complex.