Friuli’s quintessential hill town, San Daniele del Friuli is perhaps best known for its famed prosciutto di San Daniele. The dry climate and fresh breezes of this quiet town are said to make the perfect environment for salt-curing ham. A drive along the “Strada dei Castelli e del Prosciutto” circles through many of Friuli’s ancient hill towns and will provide you with ample opportunity to sample prosciutto, cheese, and wine in tasting rooms along the way.
The Duomo di San Michele Arcangelo occupies the town’s central piazza, while a few steps away, Chiesa di San Daniele in Castello sits in a shady park overlooking the Friulian countryside. Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate, perhaps the town’s most treasured church, just happens to be dedicated to the patron saint of pork butchers. Inside this 15th-century gem of a church—often dubbed the “Sistine Chapel of Friuli”—is a vibrant fresco cycle by the Renaissance artist Martino da Udine, also known as Pellegrino da San Daniele.