PN inglese_02-05-07.qxp

The Gothic portico presents two
arches, a central column and
capital and lateral pillars.
The decorations of brightlycoloured
mock damask tapestry
are double-levelled. On the
column panels to the sides, three
friezes act as a string-course with
masks, dolphins, sirens, tritons
and hippogriffs. Fastened to the
nail is the Gregoris arm bearing
Francesco’s initials.
Palazzo Gregoris (17 th century)
Remnants of frescoes and of a
window testify to the 13 th century
origins of this ancient edifice.
The present-day palazzo is a
splendid example of mainland
Venetian architecture. The façade
features balconies, spacious
windows, arches and mascarons
and is surmounted by the large
stone family coat of arms and
underlying dedicatory cartouche.
City wall alley
The narrow lane
leading below the
palazzo on the right
takes you from the
Corso to what
remains of the
ancient city walls,
reduced to stumps
by the French
authorities under
Napoleon. In 1499, these walls
helped save the city from
Turkish invasions. The lane
leads to the present-day public
gardens, near the site of the
former Porta dei
Cappuccini.
15 th century
Palazzo
(dei Capitani)
The palazzo rises
up three storeys,
plus the attic, and
features a threearched
portico.
The left-hand arch is
wider than the other
two, hence the edifice is
believed to be the unification
of two dwellings.
The composed architectural
layout of the current façade was
levelled off and treated with
Marmorino, a special Italian wall
plaster, during the 18 th century;
this concealed underlying fresco
decorations ascribable to the
15 th century. It is hard to explain
the presence of so many coats
of arms on the façade of which
there were at least seven
originally, judging by the
remnants and sizes.
Casa Simoni
This small building was formerly
state property, as can be seen
from the large civic coat of arms
between the two Gothic
windows on the small but
well-proportioned façade.
The original 13 th century
structure was formed by two
storeys, the first
storey featuring
two single lancet
trilobal-arched
windows.
The façade has
conserved its
simple mockbrick
decorations,
bordered in the
undereaves by two
bands of flower and
fruit motifs.
CORSO GARIBALDI
Palazzo Pera
Restoration completed in 2004
has verified that the building
gradually incorporated a series
of pre-existing constructions
from the end of the 15 th century.
The restoration of the façade
brought to light some decorative
fresco fragments, some in mock
brick, coeval to the oldest wall
in the building which rose up
two storeys.
Palazzo Sbrojavacca and Palazzo
Pera house the Pordenone
Provincial Administration offices.
Here, too, restoration has brought
to light remnants of ancient
frescoes, by Gianfranco da
Tolmezzo: cornices and floral
decorations with faces and
vestitures in the lower
Renaissance edifice, dating back
to the end of the 15 th century.
The building’s present-day
appearance is due to 18 th century
remodelling, inside and out,
following the changing tastes.
CHURCHES
The Duomo-cattedrale di S.Marco,
whose construction began in the
13 th century is well worth visiting.
In the 15 th century it was
extended to include the great
polygonal apse with windows
between the two minor apses
and, in 1593 with six side
chapels. The façade features an
elegant portal, carved in 1511
by Antonio Pilacorte, and four
semicolumns built to a design
by Francesco Lazzari, which was
interrupted in 1840. Inside there
are valuable handmade articles
from its secular history, stone
and wood sculptures, frescoes
from the 14 th century onwards
and 16 th century paintings by
Pordenone, Amalteo, Calderai
and Fagolino. The bell tower
rises up almost 80 metres,
and is in a decorative Gothic-
Romanesque style, with elegant
triple lancet windows and
terracotta pensile arches.
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