In 1709, in the heart of the Venetian mountains, a sovereign from Northern Europe made a visit as unusual as it was significant: Frederick IV of Denmark, a Protestant king and tireless traveler, climbed up to the Asiago Plateau, then part of the Most Serene Republic of Venice.

At the time, the plateau was inhabited largely by Cimbrian communities, descendants of Germanic settlers who had established themselves there in the Middle Ages. They spoke an ancient Bavarian-derived language and enjoyed relative autonomy under Venetian rule. Although part of Venice’s domains, the Cimbri had their own statutes and privileges, living in a semi-rural and mountainous environment far removed from the centers of power.

Frederick IV was traveling through the Italian peninsula for diplomatic, cultural, and religious reasons. A Protestant in Catholic Italy, he was nevertheless received with all the honors due to his rank. His visit to Asiago was no accident: while in Veneto, he heard of the Cimbri, who traced the origins of their people back to the Jutland Peninsula, today part of Denmark, from where they had supposedly migrated south around the 2nd century BC. Intrigued by this, Frederick decided to visit them.

The arrival of the Scandinavian monarch was a memorable event for the Cimbrian communities. It is said that he was offered local gifts such as aged cheeses, wooden crafts, and honey, and that Frederick was impressed by the resilience and pride of the inhabitants. Some accounts even mention a brief conversation between the king and several local patriarchs, who may have been able to understand each other: despite the many centuries since the Cimbri’s migration, their language still belonged to the Germanic family, like Danish. Perceived as a positive and familiar figure due to the supposed common ancestry, Frederick was welcomed with shouts of “Is leben unser könig!” (“Long live our king!”).

Beyond folklore, the visit also carried political weight: it served to strengthen diplomatic ties between Venice and Denmark, two naval powers with different but converging interests in the European balance of power. Venice, already in decline, sought allies outside its usual circle; Frederick, in turn, was seeking visibility and partnerships in an increasingly fragmented Europe.