Today I will carry on with our virtual tour of Cividale. We started with our famous and beautiful Ponte del Diavolo and the river Natisone and today I will walk up to the city center to talk to you about the founder of our city. Leaving the cathedral to your right you will find yourself standing in front of the Town hall. And right there stands the statue of Julius Caesar, founder of FORUM IULII, the ancient name of our city in Roman times. This statue is so dear to us at Domus Iulii that we decided to name our B&B after him. It is a bronze statue, copy of a marble sculpture of Caesar that lies in the Campidoglio in Rome and dates back to the time of Trajan. The statue was located there in 1935 and was donated to the city by Mussolini during the Fascist period. This was used as an act of propaganda to celebrate Italy’s imperial greatness during the Roman Empire and at that time. Julius Caesar is portrayed as an “imperator”, with a short tunic, armour and mantle. Behind him stands the Town Hall, build in the 1400s endured several renovations, of which last one was in 1934. It has a pointed-arch loggia and many decorations on the facades. - a bust portraying Domenico Mocenigo, Provveditore of the Venetian Republic on the main facade. - a bas-relief of the lion, symbol of the Venetia Republic that ruled over our city on the facade looking at the cathedral. Inside the Town Hall building remains dating back to the Roman Empire were found. It was confirmed that the Town Hall was originally a Domus, house of the wealthy Roman aristocracy, made up by 8 different rooms. The ancient floor made of a beautiful mosaic is still visible during office hours. This is only one of the many historic discoveries made in our city, and that is why we are a UNESCO Heritage site from 2011.