Discover Santa Maria la Longa

Santa Maria la Longa is a destination for travelers who want to combine historical traces, sacred art and trails through an agriculturally shaped landscape. Archaeological finds provide evidence of settlements from Roman times; they are evenly distributed throughout the area. There are also villas, churches, memorial sites and waterways that add different cultural and scenic dimensions to a stay.

Discover historical sites and art

A good starting point for exploring the area is the central Piazza Divisione Julia. A monument to Giuseppe Ungaretti was inaugurated there. Next to the monument are three Karst stones engraved with poems by the writer. The center also features a historic pillory column, considered the last surviving pillory column in the Friulian lowlands.

Several buildings and churches complete this picture. Villa Bearzi is a 17th-century building near the parish church of Santa Maria la Longa. Villa Colloredo Mels also dates from the 17th century and has a distinctive Venetian window on the façade. Villa Vintani, now Villa Zamaro, was the summer residence of the patriarchs of Aquileia in the 16th century. Casa Plateo preserves a plaque from 1739 dedicated to Count Zuanne Rados, a commander of the Serenissima.

The religious buildings are also worth a closer look. The Canonica is a 16th-century building with a religious fresco depicting the Nativity. The church of San Pietro in Mereto di Capitolo has a façade with a bell gable. Its side door has a small porch with frescoes from the early 16th century. In Santo Stefano Udinese stand the Neo-Gothic parish church, built between 1873 and 1878 according to a design by Girolamo d'Aronco, and the church of San Giuseppe. The latter preserves 17th-century frescoes depicting the Pietà and Saint Valentine. The church of Santo Stefano Udinese also contains a 1937 painting of the Martyrdom of Saint Stephen by Giuseppe Barazzutti.

Trails through landscape and history

For travel planning, the circular route Anello delle ville friulane (R038) is a good option. It starts at the municipal offices of Santa Maria la Longa and focuses on the villas of the Friulian landscape. The Udine–Grado bus service is indicated for this circular route; bicycles are not transported on this bus. Anyone considering the route by bicycle should take this information into account when planning their trip.

Another long-distance route is the Ciclovia Alpe Adria. It first passes through the municipality in the hamlet of Santo Stefano Udinese when coming from the direction of Merlana. This means that you can also place Santa Maria la Longa in the context of a longer cycling trip without limiting your stay exclusively to historical sightseeing.

The area is predominantly agricultural and is crossed by the 17th-century Roggia di Palma. Waterways diverted from a Ledra canal date from the second half of the 19th century. These elements make the landscape not merely a backdrop for the villas and churches, but give it its own historical structure.

What type of stay suits you?

If you are primarily interested in getting to know churches, frescoes and historic buildings, you can organize your days around the individual structures and their works of art. For travelers interested in culture, the combination of the Ungaretti monument, the villas and the religious sites offers particular variety. Those who prefer to be on the move can include the R038 circular route or the Ciclovia Alpe Adria in their plans and take the information about bicycle transport on the bus into account.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Santa Maria la Longa, the desired style of travel is therefore particularly important: Should your stay focus on local history and architecture, or would you also like to plan longer routes through the municipality and the hamlet of Santo Stefano Udinese?

For additional destinations, you can also consider Osoppo, Cividale Del Friuli, Nimis, Malborghetto Valbruna, Cassacco, San Pietro Al Natisone, Majano and Porpetto in your plans.

For the broader travel overview: Udine.