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Pordenone<br />
Town guide.
Pordenone’s identity is relived through its historical<br />
centre. The elegance of the buildings, the richness of<br />
the frescoes, the suggestiveness of the ancient walls,<br />
and the gentle flowing of the river all have a story<br />
to tell about a city that for many centuries has been<br />
a crossroad of different peoples and cultures.<br />
Connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Noncello,<br />
Meduna and Livenza Rivers, Pordenone has been<br />
the most southern river port in Italy since Roman<br />
Times, as it was a strategic point of communication<br />
and commerce with Central Eastern Europe.<br />
The ancient centre of the city, surrounded by modern<br />
buildings, has remained substantially intact and,<br />
through careful protection, today<br />
offers an important example<br />
of how it is possible to unite<br />
efficiency and functionality whilst<br />
respecting the environment.<br />
3
Monuments<br />
and places<br />
of interest<br />
Il palazzo comunale, or town hall,<br />
was built in red brick between<br />
1291 and 1395, with a threearched<br />
loggia and two Gothic<br />
triple lancet windows.<br />
the town hall and the<br />
Concattedrale. On both the first<br />
and the second noble floors,<br />
the southeast side halls have<br />
restored rather vast fragments<br />
of Gothic-period mural<br />
paintings, mostly representations<br />
of secular allegories and scenes<br />
of battles and duels; these<br />
paintings make up part of<br />
various decorative cycles.<br />
It is believed that the edifice<br />
was originally made up of the<br />
right-hand portion alone, which<br />
formed a squat square tower.<br />
From here, the construction was<br />
extended both in length and in<br />
height, with two noble floors<br />
rising up above the ground<br />
floor, as well as the loft which<br />
still sweeps across the whole<br />
building.<br />
Piazzetta San Marco, formerly<br />
Piazza di Sotto, is the area<br />
where the first settlement was<br />
founded as a gateway on the<br />
Noncello river. It gave direct<br />
access to the two towers of the<br />
majestic Porta Furlana,<br />
demolished in 1837, with its<br />
drawbridge over the ditch and<br />
the closing system on the stone<br />
bridge over the river. The torre<br />
maggiore used to hinge the city<br />
walls, which today still ascend<br />
eastwards to the cathedral and<br />
used to run alongside the ditch<br />
and the adjoining houses as far<br />
as the Codafora tower.<br />
Flanking the entrance is the<br />
historic residence of Giovanni<br />
Antonio De Sacchis, commonly<br />
called Il Pordenone (1483-1539),<br />
a leading Friulian Renaissance<br />
painter. Some edifices in the<br />
square show remnants of<br />
frescoes, and one façade on the<br />
town hall building bears the<br />
shield of Austria, once the<br />
familiar mark of state property.<br />
The forepart jutting out in the<br />
middle was built in the latter half<br />
of the 16 th century. It was erected<br />
in four distinct parts: the entrance<br />
arch surmounted by the stone<br />
civic coat of arms; the balcony<br />
accessible from the hall; the clock<br />
showing the months and the<br />
zodiac, and the coping with the<br />
lunar phase peephole. Two<br />
statues of white Moors strike the<br />
hour on the town bell, which<br />
stands between two curious spires<br />
erected on either side.<br />
CORSO VITTORIO<br />
EMANUELE<br />
Palazzo Ricchieri<br />
(14 th century) is<br />
the seat of the<br />
Museo Civico<br />
d’Arte,<br />
located<br />
alongside<br />
Palazzo Montereale Mantica<br />
(18 th century), today houses the<br />
Chamber of Commerce. It is well<br />
worth a visit: following a refined<br />
restoration, it reveals the<br />
aristocratic grace of a great hall<br />
decorated in the second half of<br />
the 18 th century with stuccoes by<br />
Francesco Antonio Re.<br />
Palazzo Mantica Cattaneo<br />
(16 th century). The palazzo was<br />
formed by joining two buildings<br />
erected between the 14 th and 15 th<br />
centuries; the left-hand building<br />
features blind windows, which<br />
may have been the original<br />
ones, and remnants of plaster<br />
and frescos; it bears traces of<br />
geometric and stylized floral<br />
decorations. Allegorical figures<br />
can be recognized in the<br />
monochrome episodes between<br />
the spaces of the undereaves.<br />
Palazzo Gregoris - Bassani<br />
(18 th century) The three-storeyed<br />
façade has two window axes, an<br />
added attic and sills and cornices<br />
in moulded stone.<br />
4 5
The Gothic portico presents two<br />
arches, a central column and<br />
capital and lateral pillars.<br />
The decorations of brightlycoloured<br />
mock damask tapestry<br />
are double-levelled. On the<br />
column panels to the sides, three<br />
friezes act as a string-course with<br />
masks, dolphins, sirens, tritons<br />
and hippogriffs. Fastened to the<br />
nail is the Gregoris arm bearing<br />
Francesco’s initials.<br />
Palazzo Gregoris (17 th century)<br />
Remnants of frescoes and of a<br />
window testify to the 13 th century<br />
origins of this ancient edifice.<br />
The present-day palazzo is a<br />
splendid example of mainland<br />
Venetian architecture. The façade<br />
features balconies, spacious<br />
windows, arches and mascarons<br />
and is surmounted by the large<br />
stone family coat of arms and<br />
underlying dedicatory cartouche.<br />
City wall alley<br />
The narrow lane<br />
leading below the<br />
palazzo on the right<br />
takes you from the<br />
Corso to what<br />
remains of the<br />
ancient city walls,<br />
reduced to stumps<br />
by the French<br />
authorities under<br />
Napoleon. In 1499, these walls<br />
helped save the city from<br />
Turkish invasions. The lane<br />
leads to the present-day public<br />
gardens, near the site of the<br />
former Porta dei<br />
Cappuccini.<br />
15 th century<br />
Palazzo<br />
(dei Capitani)<br />
The palazzo rises<br />
up three storeys,<br />
plus the attic, and<br />
features a threearched<br />
portico.<br />
The left-hand arch is<br />
wider than the other<br />
two, hence the edifice is<br />
believed to be the unification<br />
of two dwellings.<br />
The composed architectural<br />
layout of the current façade was<br />
levelled off and treated with<br />
Marmorino, a special Italian wall<br />
plaster, during the 18 th century;<br />
this concealed underlying fresco<br />
decorations ascribable to the<br />
15 th century. It is hard to explain<br />
the presence of so many coats<br />
of arms on the façade of which<br />
there were at least seven<br />
originally, judging by the<br />
remnants and sizes.<br />
Casa Simoni<br />
This small building was formerly<br />
state property, as can be seen<br />
from the large civic coat of arms<br />
between the two Gothic<br />
windows on the small but<br />
well-proportioned façade.<br />
The original 13 th century<br />
structure was formed by two<br />
storeys, the first<br />
storey featuring<br />
two single lancet<br />
trilobal-arched<br />
windows.<br />
The façade has<br />
conserved its<br />
simple mockbrick<br />
decorations,<br />
bordered in the<br />
undereaves by two<br />
bands of flower and<br />
fruit motifs.<br />
CORSO GARIBALDI<br />
Palazzo Pera<br />
Restoration completed in 2004<br />
has verified that the building<br />
gradually incorporated a series<br />
of pre-existing constructions<br />
from the end of the 15 th century.<br />
The restoration of the façade<br />
brought to light some decorative<br />
fresco fragments, some in mock<br />
brick, coeval to the oldest wall<br />
in the building which rose up<br />
two storeys.<br />
Palazzo Sbrojavacca and Palazzo<br />
Pera house the Pordenone<br />
Provincial Administration offices.<br />
Here, too, restoration has brought<br />
to light remnants of ancient<br />
frescoes, by Gianfranco da<br />
Tolmezzo: cornices and floral<br />
decorations with faces and<br />
vestitures in the lower<br />
Renaissance edifice, dating back<br />
to the end of the 15 th century.<br />
The building’s present-day<br />
appearance is due to 18 th century<br />
remodelling, inside and out,<br />
following the changing tastes.<br />
CHURCHES<br />
The Duomo-cattedrale di S.Marco,<br />
whose construction began in the<br />
13 th century is well worth visiting.<br />
In the 15 th century it was<br />
extended to include the great<br />
polygonal apse with windows<br />
between the two minor apses<br />
and, in 1593 with six side<br />
chapels. The façade features an<br />
elegant portal, carved in 1511<br />
by Antonio Pilacorte, and four<br />
semicolumns built to a design<br />
by Francesco Lazzari, which was<br />
interrupted in 1840. Inside there<br />
are valuable handmade articles<br />
from its secular history, stone<br />
and wood sculptures, frescoes<br />
from the 14 th century onwards<br />
and 16 th century paintings by<br />
Pordenone, Amalteo, Calderai<br />
and Fagolino. The bell tower<br />
rises up almost 80 metres,<br />
and is in a decorative Gothic-<br />
Romanesque style, with elegant<br />
triple lancet windows and<br />
terracotta pensile arches.<br />
6 7
Chiesa di S. Maria degli Angeli<br />
o del Cristo<br />
It was erected in 1309 as the<br />
hospital chapel and underwent<br />
Gaspare Nervesa in 1611.<br />
The entrance portal retains three<br />
notches, carved to mark three<br />
devastating floods.<br />
Major<br />
museums in<br />
Pordenone<br />
Chiesa del Beato Odorico Recent<br />
architecture by Mario Botta,<br />
inaugurated in 1992.<br />
a fair amount of remodelling,<br />
most notably in the 18 th century<br />
and after the Second World War.<br />
The main portal is by the<br />
Pilacorte school (1510).<br />
Inside it contains interesting<br />
fragments of 14 th century frescoes<br />
and a large wooden crucifix.<br />
Chiesa della SS. Trinità<br />
(16 th century)<br />
Located beyond the Adam and<br />
Eve bridge, on the far side of<br />
the Noncello river, the church<br />
is octagonal-shaped externally<br />
and round inside.<br />
The apse is entirely covered in<br />
frescoes by Calderari (1540-45<br />
ca) and the altarpiece at the<br />
high altar was painted by<br />
Chiesa di S. Giorgio<br />
Enlarged in 1625 and totally<br />
remodelled to a design by<br />
G. B. Bassi between the end<br />
of the 19 th century and the<br />
beginning of the 20 th century,<br />
the church features an unusual<br />
bell-tower in the shape of a<br />
fluted Doric column in white<br />
stone, surmounted by a<br />
huge statue of Saint<br />
George. It contains a<br />
painting attributed to Gasparo<br />
Narvesa depicting Saint<br />
George killing the dragon<br />
(17 th century).<br />
Museo Civico d’Arte,<br />
housed in Palazzo Ricchieri.<br />
Besides a conspicuous collection<br />
of 13 th century wooden<br />
sculptures and items of Gothic<br />
jewellery, the museum also hosts<br />
various paintings by Giovanni<br />
Antonio de’ Sacchis, known as<br />
il Pordenone, who is deemed<br />
to be the most important Friulian<br />
painter ever. In addition to<br />
a 15 th century crucifix by a<br />
Tuscan sculptor and a 16 th<br />
century wooden altar<br />
by Valeriano (Pinzano<br />
al Tagliamento), the<br />
museum also presents<br />
works by Nicola<br />
Grassi, Odorico Politi,<br />
Giuseppe Bernardino<br />
Bison, Giuseppe<br />
Tominz and various<br />
other Venetian and Friulian<br />
artists from the 18 th and 19 th<br />
centuries.<br />
Museo Civico delle Scienze,<br />
founded in 1970, this science<br />
museum is housed in the 16 th<br />
century Palazzo Amalteo,<br />
in Piazza della Motta.<br />
8<br />
9
Museo archeologico<br />
del Friuli Occidentale<br />
The archaeological museum is<br />
in the castello di Torre, about 3<br />
km north of the town centre.<br />
It currently includes: the new<br />
prehistory halls (from middle<br />
Palaeolithic and Neolithic times<br />
to the early Bronze age); some<br />
halls dedicated to Count<br />
Giuseppe di Ragogna, the<br />
castle’s last landlord; and some<br />
areas reserved for the valuable<br />
archaeological materials from<br />
the nearby Roman villa di Torre,<br />
can be used for concerts, plays,<br />
conferences, meetings and the<br />
screening of arthouse films, and,<br />
lastly, a rehearsal room, seating 99<br />
people, fitted out for audience<br />
participation shows.<br />
In the<br />
surroundings<br />
of Pordenone<br />
discovered in the fifties on the<br />
left bank of the Noncello river<br />
by Giuseppe di Ragogna.<br />
Museo Diocesano di Arte Sacra<br />
Situated up on a small hill not<br />
far from the Noncello river, the<br />
museum of sacred art designed<br />
by Othmar Barth was<br />
inaugurated in 1989.<br />
It houses works from a vast<br />
area, between the Livenza river<br />
and the Tagliamento river,<br />
which was under the jurisdiction<br />
of the Bishop of Concordia.<br />
Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi<br />
The town theatre has been<br />
erected on the former site of the<br />
Cinema Teatro Verdi, which was<br />
closed down on June 30 th 1999<br />
and later demolished.<br />
The building contains a main hall<br />
seating a total of 998 people<br />
in the stalls and three galleries.<br />
There is also a “ridotto”, a smaller<br />
hall seating 146 people, which<br />
A stroll along the banks of the<br />
Noncello river is a must from<br />
a naturalistic point of view.<br />
Besides the vegetation, you can<br />
also see various species of<br />
aquatic animals. Several cotton<br />
mills were placed at different<br />
points along the Noncello in the<br />
19 th century; these had a great<br />
influence on the history of<br />
Pordenone’s economy and are<br />
important examples of<br />
“industrial archaeology” today.<br />
PIANCAVALLO<br />
Piancavallo, a pleasant town<br />
nestled in a spacious and sunny<br />
valley, is not only an important<br />
skiing resort. The wide choice<br />
of activities on offer and the<br />
suggestiveness of its open spaces<br />
make it a pleasant and<br />
unexpected surprise to the<br />
visitor. The view is straight out<br />
of a postcard: from the highest<br />
peak, on a sunny day, you can<br />
see as far as the Adriatic Sea,<br />
while all around the landscape<br />
that stretches before you is that<br />
so typical of the Dolomites.<br />
This is an ideal destination<br />
for any type of skier, from<br />
professional to beginner, from<br />
freerider to cross-country skier<br />
and for families in search of<br />
safe places for their children,<br />
Piancavallo offers comfortable ski<br />
lifts and safe slopes with a 100%<br />
availability of programmable<br />
modern snow cannons. During<br />
the summer it is possible to take<br />
part in theoretical and practical<br />
lessons of dog trekking,<br />
mountain bike, horse trekking,<br />
archery and Nordic walking, as<br />
well as taking part in a wide<br />
variety of activities from mini-golf<br />
to roller-skating, from tennis<br />
to football or to go on the<br />
numerous excursions to discover<br />
the highest peaks of the<br />
Pordenone Foothills.<br />
10<br />
11
THE FRIULIAN DOLOMITES<br />
The characteristic landscape<br />
of the Eastern Prealps is defined<br />
by the outline of the Dolomites<br />
and their long narrow valleys.<br />
This area is rather like a<br />
wilderness, and its harsh,<br />
rugged environment and lack<br />
of tourist facilities at altitude<br />
attract mountain climbers,<br />
hikers and nature lovers alike.<br />
IL PARCO DELLE<br />
DOLOMITI FRIULANE<br />
The Natural Park of the Friulian<br />
Dolomites stretches from the<br />
province of Pordenone to the<br />
province of Udine, embracing<br />
Valcellina valley, the upper<br />
Tagliamento Valley and<br />
the territories converging<br />
in Val Tramontina.<br />
The Tourist Office is located<br />
near Cimolais, a town offering<br />
the most typical dolomite<br />
landscape, with peaks of over<br />
2000m. The greatest attraction is<br />
the bell tower in Val Montanaia,<br />
a 200m tall spire with a 60m<br />
base. There are plenty of wellmarked<br />
nature trails in the area.<br />
Andreis, known as the eagle<br />
village, has a rescue centre<br />
for wounded birds and a<br />
Ethnographic museum<br />
of art and rural culture.<br />
In Claut you can visit the Museo<br />
della Casa Clautana. It portrays<br />
the life of the women from<br />
Valcellina, devoted to<br />
housework, working in the<br />
fields, in the stables, and on<br />
the road selling wooden<br />
utensils. The aim of the<br />
Museum is also to recover old<br />
structures built for using water,<br />
stone and wood. In addition to<br />
the skating and curling rink, the<br />
ice stadium of Claut also has an<br />
ice park, a tall tower made of<br />
ice where you can try your<br />
hand at climbing, with the help<br />
of an ice axe and crampons.<br />
This region has plenty of nature<br />
paths, of varying levels of<br />
difficulty, for walking or<br />
cycling, which take you to<br />
very interesting spots.<br />
Erto and Casso, which are<br />
unfortunately famous for the<br />
1963 tragedy of Vajont, are<br />
characterized by long, narrow<br />
stone houses, national<br />
monuments recognized by<br />
the Monuments and Fine Arts<br />
office. The Palestra della<br />
Moliesa is a famous climbing<br />
practice wall used by beginners<br />
and expert free climbers alike.<br />
Leaving the park, we come<br />
across another spot in Valcellina<br />
called Barcis, which is famous<br />
for its artificial lake where<br />
you can go sailing, canoeing,<br />
rowing, windsurfing, kajaking<br />
and scuba diving. The lake is<br />
also used for Italian and<br />
international motorboat races.<br />
VAL D’ARZINO - VAL COSA<br />
VAL TRAMONTINA<br />
Green valleys enriched by<br />
hamlets of ancient origin are<br />
an ideal destination for walks,<br />
excursions, bicycle rides,<br />
horse-riding or just for pure<br />
relaxation. Furthermore, the<br />
historical-artistic values allow us<br />
to take a look at the area’s rich<br />
and diverse past, which can still<br />
be seen in its traditions,<br />
handicrafts and food and drink<br />
products, as well as in its<br />
buildings which have been<br />
restored and well preserved<br />
(churches, buildings, manor<br />
houses, villas, castles).<br />
In Clauzetto, the Pradis Caves<br />
offer a more suggestive<br />
destination. By descending the<br />
207 steps of the Grotta Verde<br />
one reaches the bottom of the<br />
spectacular ravine named after<br />
Don Bianchini. The turbulent<br />
Cosa torrent flows through<br />
the deep gorge and there<br />
is a beautiful bronze crucifix<br />
made by Prof. Gatto ideally<br />
to calm the rush of the waters.<br />
The artistic heritage in the<br />
numerous churches is also<br />
of great interest.<br />
The parish church of San<br />
Giacomo, the first place to<br />
be kissed by the morning sun,<br />
is at the top of a wide flight<br />
of 89 steps.<br />
VAL COLVERA<br />
Poffabro is listed in the Club<br />
of the 30 most beautiful villages<br />
in Italy. Its “magical power”<br />
lies in the enchanting effect<br />
of the sharply cut stones and<br />
the wooden balconies: simple,<br />
austere architectural elements,<br />
which nevertheless give a sense<br />
of intimacy and meditation in<br />
the internal courtyards which<br />
you reach through a narrow<br />
arch, or in the long rows of<br />
16 th and 17 th century houses.<br />
MANIAGO<br />
Known as the “Città dei Coltelli”<br />
or Town of Knives, it hosts the<br />
Museo dell’Arte Febbrile that<br />
recalls various moments of<br />
the centuries’ old tradition<br />
of wrought iron working and<br />
in particular, of knife-making.<br />
Above all, the museum includes<br />
instruments and products that<br />
tell the important history<br />
of the Maniago blacksmiths.<br />
The Duomo di San Mauro, of<br />
Gothic character, is the town’s<br />
principal monument, and<br />
hosts the altar-piece with the<br />
glorification of Christ and<br />
the Saints of Amalteo wing.<br />
Forming three large arches,<br />
the Palazzo d’Attimis Maniago<br />
12<br />
13
and the Public Loggia look out<br />
onto Piazza Italia, and should<br />
certainly be admired.<br />
POLCENIGO<br />
The small and suggestive village<br />
set against the green of the<br />
mountains and the blue of the<br />
waters that cross it, behold<br />
true marvels of nature.<br />
The Gorgazzo Springs, that gush<br />
from a Karstic hollow form a<br />
small lake, that is emerald in<br />
colour and whose depths<br />
remain unexplored to date.<br />
The Livenza River Springs,<br />
that host the Santuario della<br />
Santissima, instead have another<br />
special feature: the peculiarity<br />
of these springs lies in the fact<br />
that although the water wells<br />
up at only a few dozen metres<br />
above sea level, it suddenly<br />
gives life to a remarkably large<br />
da Tolmezzo, dated 1496,<br />
a valuable wooden chancel,<br />
a variety of altarpieces and<br />
numerous frescoes.<br />
The Polcenigo area abounds in<br />
springs and streams and it was<br />
already a favourable place for<br />
human settlements in ancient<br />
times. The inhabitants built their<br />
huts and palafittes between<br />
Polcenigo and Caneva on the<br />
banks of the Livenza river in a<br />
place called “Palù”, the most<br />
ancient settlement built on piles<br />
in Friuli Venezia Giulia and one<br />
of the most important in Italy.<br />
It is a Neolithic village with<br />
finds dating back to the 4 th<br />
century BC. The archaeological<br />
material collected in the area<br />
includes ceramic potsherds,<br />
stone artefacts and wooden<br />
finds preserved thanks to the<br />
exceptional environmental<br />
conditions in Palù. Bronze<br />
articles, lances, earthenware<br />
and buckles were found in the<br />
locality belonging to groups<br />
of Paleovenetians who probably<br />
inhabited the area about 3000<br />
years ago.<br />
In 1411, the town asked the<br />
Republic of St Mark for<br />
protection and became one<br />
of its most loyal subjects,<br />
both in terms of its politics,<br />
economy, town planning and<br />
architecture. There is a real<br />
Venetian atmosphere in several<br />
corners of the town (earning<br />
it its title of “Giardino della<br />
Serenissima”), with its wellbalanced<br />
relationship between<br />
land and water and graceful<br />
noble and bourgeois lagoon<br />
buildings. The town became<br />
the starting point for the timber<br />
destined for the Venice<br />
dockyard, where it was used<br />
to build ships and other craft.<br />
Its function as a transit port,<br />
connected to the exploitation<br />
of lowland and mountain woods,<br />
enabled it to keep the river<br />
navigable even in the shallows.<br />
It has been established that it<br />
the Chiesetta della<br />
Madonna della<br />
Pietà; the Chiesa di<br />
S. Gregorio; Piazza<br />
Popolo and all<br />
the spots along<br />
the Livenza river.<br />
Sacile is a<br />
Renaissance town<br />
due to its host of<br />
16 th century palazzos:<br />
the Loggia<br />
Comunale, Palazzo<br />
Carli, Palazzo Ettoreo and in<br />
particular Palazzo Ragazzoni<br />
Flangini Billia, built in the 16 th<br />
century for Giacomo Ragazzoni,<br />
an extremely powerful Venetian<br />
merchant who entertained<br />
Popes, Kings and Emperors<br />
in his residence in the city of<br />
Livenza. His success is celebrated<br />
in the emperors’ hall with a cycle<br />
of frescoes by Montemezzano<br />
(from the Veronese school).<br />
stream which can be navigated<br />
starting right from the springs<br />
themselves. Documents and<br />
traditions testify to the place as<br />
a site for fertility rites and a<br />
destination for pilgrimages<br />
heading for a nearby votive<br />
chapel built, according to a<br />
legend, in memory of the Holy<br />
Trinity appearing before a local<br />
denizen. The area is dominated<br />
by the Renaissance Chiesa della<br />
Santissima, erected between<br />
the 14 th and 16 th centuries.<br />
The church features a wide<br />
portico in front of the façade<br />
and inside it houses a majestic<br />
17 th century wooden altar with<br />
an aedicule by Domenico<br />
SACILE<br />
One of the most beautiful<br />
towns in the region, Sacile is<br />
linked to a river, the Livenza,<br />
which has defined its history,<br />
culture, and important<br />
decisions, as well as its name:<br />
Sacile derives from the Latin<br />
word saccus, meaning a creek,<br />
a river recess or a meander.<br />
The settlement originated<br />
on two small islands formed<br />
by the Livenza river.<br />
The castle and the church were<br />
on the first, which was enclosed<br />
by walls, whereas the second<br />
island housed Piazza Maggiore<br />
and was called the Port, as the<br />
landing for merchant boats<br />
travelling up the Livenza was<br />
located near the bridge of the<br />
port tower, called the ponte<br />
dei Mori.<br />
was indeed possible to travel in<br />
small crafts from Sacile up to<br />
Polcenigo (Fonti del Gorgazzo)<br />
and as far as Portobuffolè in the<br />
other direction, and subsequently<br />
on as far as the open sea. After<br />
its architectural restoration, the<br />
town boasts careful renovation in<br />
the historic centre. The main<br />
landmarks are the ancient Duomo<br />
dedicated to Nicholas, the patron<br />
saint of river navigation, which<br />
houses the masterpieces of Pino<br />
Canarini, 1946; the rectory;<br />
There are many houses featuring<br />
Renaissance or Baroque<br />
ornamental motives, some<br />
of which have elegant porticoes<br />
of great architectural interest.<br />
SPILIMBERGO<br />
The town grew up around the<br />
ancient castle, and is one of the<br />
most important cities for art and<br />
history in Friuli Venezia Giulia.<br />
It underwent a period of great<br />
glory between the Middle Ages<br />
and the Renaissance period,<br />
14<br />
15
testified by its fortifications, its<br />
churches abounding in works<br />
of art and by its numerous noble<br />
palazzos, many of which still<br />
preserve their frescoed façades.<br />
The 12 th century castle was<br />
formerly called “girone” meaning<br />
round, due to its circular shape.<br />
There is a series of buildings<br />
constructed in a ring around<br />
the internal courtyard: the most<br />
striking is the 14 th century palazzo<br />
depinto (painted palazzo) with<br />
frescoes by Bellunello and stone<br />
balconies by Pilacorte.<br />
It boasts beautiful Gothic and<br />
Renaissance triple lancet<br />
windows, refined stone details<br />
and frescoes covering the entire<br />
surface of the wall, representing<br />
cardinal and theological virtues,<br />
as well as decorative motifs.<br />
The Duomo di S. Maria Maggiore<br />
is one of the most important<br />
Gothic edifices in Friuli. Inside<br />
there is a 14 th century fresco cycle<br />
with stories of the Old and New<br />
Testament and a very valuable<br />
16 th century organ. The Scuola del<br />
mosaico was officially founded in<br />
1922, but its tradition dates back<br />
to the 18 th century, a period when<br />
there was a heavy flow of<br />
seasonal emigration to Venice,<br />
the artistic crossroads between<br />
the East and the West.<br />
The school is very famous today,<br />
and uses advanced working<br />
techniques and avant-garde<br />
materials. It houses a museum<br />
of mosaic art, where you can see<br />
masters and students at work.<br />
SESTO AL REGHENA<br />
Of Roman origins, it was<br />
founded as a military site and<br />
supply station for travellers<br />
heading north. Its name derives<br />
not only from the Reghena river<br />
but also from its position near the<br />
sixth milestone along that route<br />
(starting from Aquileia).<br />
The 7 th century abbazia<br />
benedettina di S. Maria in Sylvis<br />
gained prestige from the<br />
beginning thanks to Carlo<br />
Magno’s donations. An early<br />
Christian community had built a<br />
triapsidal church there, and the<br />
sons of the Lombard Duke Pietro<br />
founded a Benedictine monastery<br />
on the same site a century later.<br />
The monastery had exceptional<br />
privileges throughout the<br />
Lombard and Carolingian rule,<br />
and obtained immunity from<br />
them. Today only the sturdy<br />
entrance tower remains, the only<br />
survivor out of the seven defence<br />
towers erected in the second half<br />
of the 10 th century; the bell tower,<br />
formerly a lookout tower;<br />
the chancellery with its wide<br />
Romanesque-style façade; the<br />
abbey residence and the rectory.<br />
Inside, there are materials and<br />
works from the Roman, early<br />
Medieval and Gothic periods.<br />
In the crypt, there is the ossuary<br />
of S. Anastasio (8 th century)<br />
featuring deeply engraved<br />
geometric patterns worked with<br />
the sophisticated chiaroscuro<br />
technique by the skilled workers<br />
of Cividale.<br />
SAN VITO AL<br />
TAGLIAMENTO<br />
The municipality boasts<br />
noble traditions<br />
both in history,<br />
culture and art.<br />
The ancient finds<br />
cover a period of<br />
thousands of years from<br />
Palaeolithic and Neolithic times<br />
to the Roman period: the<br />
Medieval structure in the centre,<br />
the features of the city walls, the<br />
moat and the two towers testify<br />
to the epoca comunale in the<br />
12 th century. The palazzos are<br />
interesting to visit: Palazzo Altan<br />
Rota, a parish residence, has<br />
a wide garden of naturalistic<br />
interest; the cleverly restored<br />
northern barchessa (service<br />
building) of the palazzo now<br />
houses the offices of the Museo<br />
Provinciale della Vita Contadina;<br />
Palazzo Fancello features<br />
frescoes by Brunello and the<br />
Chiesa di S. Maria dei Battuti<br />
is a gem of Friuli Renaissance.<br />
VALVASONE<br />
The town’s main tourist asset is<br />
the excellent conservation of its<br />
historic centre lined with elegant<br />
residences dating back to<br />
between the 14 th and 17 th<br />
centuries. Of Roman origin,<br />
it became important during the<br />
Middle Ages thanks to its ford<br />
crossing the Tagliamento river.<br />
Its most important monument is<br />
the castle, which, surrounded by<br />
the moat and ancient walls, still<br />
conserves two stuccoed halls,<br />
an 18 th century puppet theatre<br />
and a picture gallery.<br />
There is an interesting piazza in<br />
front of the castle and an old mill<br />
nearby, with its wheel still in<br />
place. The whole of the town<br />
centre, however, is of great<br />
historical and architectural interest<br />
with its medieval houses and<br />
large palazzos.<br />
The parish boasts Italy’s only<br />
Venetian 16 th century organ.<br />
CORDOVADO<br />
The oldest complex is the striking<br />
Borgo Castello, whose medieval<br />
style intertwines today with the<br />
18 th -century style of two noble<br />
mansions: Villa Attimis and<br />
Palazzo Ridolfi also known as<br />
Palazzo del Capitano.<br />
Where it borders Sesto al<br />
Reghena, there is the famous<br />
Fontana di Venchiaredo,<br />
surrounded by trees in a small<br />
but lovely wood. A theme park is<br />
under construction nearby which<br />
will recall the places depicted in<br />
“Le confessioni di un italiano”<br />
by Ippolito Nievo.<br />
CASARSA<br />
In what was once the house<br />
of his birth, today is the<br />
Centro Studi Pier Paolo Pasolini<br />
which has a permanent theme<br />
exhibition of unpublished family<br />
photographs, Friulian paintings,<br />
political posters of 1949,<br />
a valuable and substantial<br />
collection of manuscripts of the<br />
Friulian period, a rich inheritance<br />
in papers and the frequent<br />
correspondence between Pier<br />
Paolo and his friends and family.<br />
16<br />
17
Piancavallo/Aviano/Ospedale/Pronto Soccorso<br />
Cartografia L.A.C. Firenze. Autorizzazione n.7 dell’08/<strong>05</strong>/2007<br />
Torre<br />
Photographs courtesy of: Valdemarin, Luca d’Agostino, Pordenone Press Office, Aldo Martinuzzi, Assunta Rumor, FVG tourism photography archive<br />
Numeri utili/Nützliche<br />
Telefonnummern/Useful<br />
Telephone Numbers/<br />
Numéros utiles/Koristne<br />
klicne πtevilke<br />
Stazione Ferroviaria<br />
Viale Mazzini, 82<br />
Numero Verde 892<strong>02</strong>1<br />
Bahnhof/Railway<br />
station/Gare ferroviaire/<br />
∂elezniπka postaja<br />
Azienda Trasporti<br />
Automobilistici Provinciali<br />
P. Risorgimento, 8 Numero<br />
Verde 800-101040<br />
Autobusbahnhof/Bus<br />
Station/Gare routière/<br />
Avtobusna postaja<br />
Taxi: P.zza XX Settembre<br />
Tel 0434 52<strong>02</strong>40;<br />
Viale Mazzini<br />
(stazione ferroviaria)<br />
Tel. 0434 521460<br />
Polizia Municipale<br />
Via Oderzo, 9<br />
Tel. 0434 392811<br />
Städtische Polizei/<br />
Municipal Police/<br />
Police Municipale/<br />
Mestna policija<br />
Carabinieri - Pronto<br />
intervento Tel.112<br />
Via del Carabiniere, 2<br />
Tel. 0434 360131<br />
Bereitschaftsdienst/Public<br />
emergency service/<br />
Urgences/Center za<br />
obveπ≥anje<br />
Zona Fiera/Piscina Comunale/<br />
Autostrada Venezia-Trieste<br />
Questura Piazza del Popolo, 1<br />
Tel. 0434 238111<br />
Polizeipräsidium/Police<br />
Headquarters/<br />
Commissariat/Kvestura<br />
Pronto Soccorso Tel. 118<br />
Notdienst/First Aid/<br />
Urgences/Nujna pomo≥<br />
Azienda Ospedaliera<br />
Santa Maria degli Angeli<br />
Via Montereale 24<br />
Tel. 0434 399111<br />
Krankenhaus/Hospital/<br />
Hôpital/Bolniπnica<br />
Comune Corso Vittorio<br />
Emanuele, 64<br />
Tel. 0434 392111<br />
Stadtgemeinde/Town<br />
Hall/Mairie/Ob≥ina<br />
Provincia L.go S. Giorgio, 12<br />
Tel 0434 2311<br />
Provinz/Provincial<br />
Authory/Province/Pokrajina<br />
Posta Centrale Via S. Caterina,<br />
6 Tel 0434 222252<br />
Hauptpostamt/Central<br />
Post Office/Poste<br />
Centrale/Centralna poπta<br />
Palazzetto dello Sport<br />
Via Fratelli Rosselli<br />
Tel 0434 361332<br />
Sporthalle/Indoor stadium/<br />
Palais des Sports/∏portna<br />
dvorana<br />
Piscina Comunale<br />
V.le Treviso, 12<br />
Tel 0434 572384<br />
Städtisches Schwimmbad/<br />
Municipal swimming<br />
pool/Piscine Communale/<br />
Ob≥inski bazen<br />
Biblioteca Civica<br />
P.zza della Motta, 4<br />
Tel 0434 522867<br />
Stadtbibliothek/Town<br />
Library/Bibliothèque<br />
Communale/Mestna<br />
knji∑nica<br />
Teatro Comunale<br />
Giuseppe Verdi<br />
Viale Martelli, 2 Tel 0434<br />
247624<br />
Polizia Municipale/Autostrada Ve-Ts<br />
Stadttheater/Town<br />
Theatre/Théâtre<br />
Communal/Ob≥insko<br />
gledaliπ≥e<br />
Informagiovani<br />
Piazzetta S. Marco<br />
e Piazza XX Settembre<br />
Tel 0434 392535/247168<br />
Terminal Aeroporto<br />
P. Risorgimento, 8<br />
Numero Verde 800-101040<br />
Flughafen Terminal/Airport<br />
Terminal/Terminal<br />
Aéroport/Letaliπki terminal<br />
Aeroporto<br />
Ronchi dei Legionari, Gorizia<br />
(informazione voli)<br />
Tel. 0481 773224<br />
Flughafen (Auskünfte über<br />
Flüge)/International Airport<br />
(Flight Information)/<br />
Aéroport<br />
(Informations vols)/<br />
Letaliπ≥e - Ronke<br />
(Informacije o letih)<br />
Pordenone
Informazioni Turistiche/<br />
Touristische Auskünfte/Tourist<br />
Information/Informations<br />
Touristiques/Turisti≥ne informacije<br />
DSF design / Print: la Tipografica Srl<br />
Turismo FVG<br />
Via Damiani 2/c,<br />
33170 PORDENONE<br />
T. +39 0434 520381/520974<br />
F. +39 0434 241608<br />
info.pordenone@turismo.fvg.it