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Cividale del Friuli
Founded by Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC, it later became the first and most important Lombard duchy formed in Italy after the 6th century Germanic invasion of Italy. Cividale is home to much of the most important Lombard art and architecture in Europe. In addition to the charming Old Town, where the facades of the medieval houses are adorned with frescos, there is a beautiful 8th century Lombard chapel wonderfully intact and archeological museum rich in Lombard and early medieval treasures. Frescos also adorn the interior of the 13th C. Chiesa di San Francesco and the 15th C. Duomo. For the adventurous, there is a 3d century BC underground Celtic burial chamber. The excursion includes transportation, guided tours of the Old Town, the Duomo and the museum with a local historian in both Italian and English, a visit to the Celtic burial chamber, and a rustic dinner in the Friulian countryside, which generally begins with a taste of two local gastronomic specialties, prosciutto crudo of neighboring San Daniele del Friuli and Verduzzo Friulano, a celebrated local wine.
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