Aperitive time in one of the secrets corners of the old town
The hidden rivers in Udine during the #italiagrandsketchingtour.
One place that I went to in the morning and I loved was this small hidden court in the historical center. Placed near a Roggia, a typical canal, in Vicolo della Banca I decided to go there for aperitif and the last sketch of the day. It was great time and I remained fascinated by the history of all those canals in Udine.
I discovered that the city was born and began to develop only after the water of the Torre river in the Zompitta area was tamed and channeled before it dispersed among the gravels of the plain.The Torre, which starts near Tarcento, enters into two irrigation ditches: the Cividina canal on the left bank and the Udine canal on the right. Later on, in the nineteenth century, the Ledra canal was added.
With their strong current, the irrigation ditches of Udine moved many machines generating the first industrial activities. On these two water channels, in fact, there were about fifty large water wheels that operated some mills and spinning machines, fueling many activities, but also supplying water for the urban area and the surrounding ones. Water is a very precious asset of which the Udine area, for geological reasons, has always been in short supply and those were a great solution to allow the birth of a new city.
Title of the painting ‘The hidden rivers in Udine’
This is a painting from the Italia Grand Sketching Tour Collection, a series of original ink and watercolor paintings done on location during my tour to discovery the marvelous Italian heritage. All paintings are also available as numbered and originally signed prints.
The painting is also featured in the book about my motorbike Italian tour. By acquiring this work you will get to know better Italy also thanks to a personalized story about this place that I will include in the package.
Painting information:
- Watercolor and ink on white paper
- Size 19 x 28.5 cm (7.5 x 11.2 inches)
- Shipped in a box
- Certificate of authenticity will be sent with the painting
