Friuli is an area of north-eastern Italy, part of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

In year 50 B.C., the Romans founded a town, named Forum Julii (The market of Julius) after Julius Caesar, Rome's ruler. After conquest by Charlemagne's Franks, Forum Julii became Civitas Austriae (Eastern City).

The former name now refers to the whole land ruled by this town, under the modern form Friuli.

In the Middle Ages, Friuli was an independent state under the control of the Patriarch of Aquileia, that expanded even outside the region; then it was included entirely till 1518 in the Republic of Venice (Serenissima).

After 1518, the eastern part became a province of the Austrian Empire, while the western part remained Venetian (including the actual capital Udine) until 1797. The latter part was included in the Kingdom of Italy in 1866, together with the region Venetia.

Friuli became completely Italian only in 1918, after World War I, but there are still today strong ties with Austria and others regions of Mitteleuropa, sometimes stronger than those with Italy. Therefore some people request more autonomy from the central government as in the past and a policy of promoting the region's own traditions and language.

The region has seen a revival of old traditions, and probably (but there are many discussions about it) April 3 will become a festival in honor of April 3, 1077, that is, the date of birth of the first independent Friulian state in history.