Piazza della Libertà is the heart of Udine and one of the most coherent Renaissance squares in northern Italy. It is flanked by the pink-and-white Gothic Loggia del Lionello (the old town hall, 1448), the Renaissance Portico of San Giovanni with its clock tower of two bronze Moors who strike the hour, and a flight of arcaded steps that climb up to the castle.
The square is car-free and busy with morning and evening passeggiata. A pair of Venetian columns and statues of Hercules and Cacus — known locally as "Florean and Venturin" — anchor the open side. It is the obvious starting point for any walk through the historic centre.