The Miramare Castle is a 19th century castle, built for Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium, on the Gulf of Trieste near Trieste, northeastern Italy. Construction took place from 1856 to 1860 to a design by Carl Junker on the orders of Archduke Maximilian.The extensive park (22 hectares) is located on the seashore and was designed by the Archduke. The Royal couple, who then divided their time between the duties of the court and their private lives but were soon to accept the benefits and burdens of the Mexican crown, spent a happy period here at the Austrian Riviera. Here, with the visit of a delegation from Mexico, definite plans were laid for the adventure that led to their undoing in America.
The Castle, now a museum run by the Cultural Heritage Office, affords a panoramic view of the Bay of Grignano and the Adriatic beyond from atop a rock promontory. It is surrounded by an Italian-style garden, with flora (including rare species) from all over the world. There is also a marine park.
The castle is 90 km far from Lignano, it's about 1 hour by car.
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Udine was the historical starting point for a route over the Saifnitz or Pontebba Pass to Villach by way of Pontebba and Tarvisio. It lay on the Roman road the Via Julia Augusta, but there is no sign of Roman occupation. Founded in 983, after the decline of Aquileia (an important Roman city) and Forum Iulii, Udine became important for commerce, and was for 4 centuries capital of patriarchate of Aquileia (see Aquileian Rite). In the 1230s the seat of the patriarchate of Aquileia was transferred to Udine, giving its Romanesque cathedral new prominence. In 1420 Udine became part of Venetian territory. It remained a part of the Republic of Venice until 1797, when Napoleon yielded Venice and her territories to Austria in the Treaty of Campo Formio, signed in 1796 in Campoformido, a village about 4 miles west of Udine. In 1866 it was annexed by the kingdom of Italy as part of the unification of Italy.
The distance from Lignano is about 67 km., ca. 53 minutes by car.
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The town’s principal church, work of Domenico Rossi (1707-1725) and consecrated to St. Michael Archangel, stands in the main square, preceded by a flight of steps. The uncompleted bell tower was begun in 1531 on the basis of a plan by Giovanni da Udine.
The interior is divided into a nave and two side aisles with two domes: at the beginning of the left side aisle there is a baptistery of the 16th century; at the first altar on the left there is the “Trinity”, a copy done by Domenico Fabris of an original work by Il Pordenone.
The old Town Hall is situated on the right. It has got a porch of low arches and a three-mullioned window looks towards the square. It houses the town archives, with documents that date back to the 12th century. Here is also situated the important Guarneriana Civic Library.
The construction of the palace dates back to 1415. Several elaborations were made to this building at the end of the 16 th century and in the 18th century, when it became the library seat; in the interior there is the particularly worthy Fontanini’ s hall , which has got wooden bookcases of 1742.
On the right hand of the church, in via Roma, opposite the belfry there’s a house with an arcade, built in the 14th century. It faces via Cavour which leads to the Church of Madonna della Fratta.
This Gothic church was begun in 1350 and completed with the stone façade in 1469; we can learn this information from the inscription on the left of the top of the portal; on the contrary, this one dates back to 1471 and represents the “Madonna on a Throne with the Child and Angels” in the lunette, which is surrounded by an ogival arc. The portal is between two high windows with one opening and on the top there is a mullioned window with two lights.
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Villa Manin, una delle piu' belle ville in stile veneziano, risalente al XVIII secolo e circondata da un vasto parco, e' oggi sede di mostre e manifestazioni prestigiose. E' qui che nel 1797 Napoleone Bonaparte firmo' il Trattato di Campoformio, con cui cedeva gran parte dei territori della Repubblica di Venezia all'Austria.
Queste due piccole cittadine furono quasi completamente distrutte dal terremoto del 1976, che costo' la vita anche a migliaia di persone. Oggi, grazie ad una attenta ricostruzione, hanno ritrovato il loro originario splendore. A Gemona si possono ammirare nuovamente il municipio con la loggia a tre archi e il duomo di S.Maria Assunta, divenuto il simbolo della rinascita friulana dopo il terribile evento naturale. Venzone, piccolo paese medievale, presenta interessantissimi edifici in stile gotico, una solida cinta muraria e, annessa al duomo, la cappella del XIII secolo dove ancora sono conservate delle mummie.
According to tradition Cividale was founded in 50 B.C by Julius Caesar and called Forum Julii (the market of Julius). Venetian and Celtic remains, however, bear witness to pre-existent settlements. In 568, with the conquest of the Longobards led by King Alboin, Cividale becomes the capital of the first Longobard Dukedom in Italy.
In the VIII century, during the Frankish domination, the ancient name of the city is changed from Forum Julii to Civitas Austriae and later from Civitas into the present Cividale. The city becomes the seat of the temporal power with the beginning of the patriarchal State in Friuli (1077). In 1420 the city is included in the Venetian Republic.
The artistic heritage of the city testifies its historical importance: the Celtic Hypogeum, a fascinating and mysterious place; the Oratory of Saint Maria in Valle (the famous little Longobard Temple), an extraordinary example of upper Middle Ages architecture and sculpture; the Cathedral (XIV-XV century), in the interior of which you may admire the silver altar-piece of Pellegrino II, masterpiece of Italian medieval goldsmith art, and two paintings by Palma the Younger; the Municipal Palace (XIV-XV century); the Venetian Superintendents’ Palace (XVI century), designed by Andrea Palladio.
You may also visit the National Archaeological Museum which houses archaeological Longobard remains and relevant medieval codes; the Christian Museum with the baptistery of Callisto (VIII century) and the Ratchis altar (VIII century). You should also not forget to visit the Devil’s Bridge and its wonderful view over the Natisone river. According to the legend, the bridge was built by the Devil, who had requested in exchange the soul of the first person crossing it.
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It must have been an almost pedantic spirit who gave Palmanova the symetrical shape of a 9 pointed star. Three roads straight as an arrow are crossing the city transversally, four concentrical ring roads surround the nucleus of the town. 4 square places are located in front of the very center - a hexagonal piazza.
Palmanova appears to be a town being planned on a drawing board. And in fact it is. For over 200 years it was known to be the best secured fortress in Europe.
Starting at 1593 it took Venice about 100 years to finish the fortress which was intended to be an invincible post to the Turks and Austrians. Originally Palmanova provided space for more than 20.000 people, but there were only few that wanted to end up here. So it came to those who could not oppose: First they sent soldiers to live there. Already after 30 years not even soldiers wanted to go there, so they sent imprisoners who were promised freedom and a place for living in exchange for setteling over to Palmanova. Despite of some privileges there were rarely living more than 2000 inhabitants in this town. Nowadays there are 5000.
Irony in history: There have never been fights in the city of Palmanova itself. It has been taken by Napoleon without a fight in 1797.
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Aquileia (Friulian Aquilee, Slovene Oglej) is an ancient Roman town of Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times.Aquileia was founded by the Romans in 180/181 BC on the narrow strip between the mountains and the lagoons, as a frontier fortress on the north-east. Main sights in Aquileia are: Cathedral and Acient remains.
The Cathedral of Aquileia is one of the most important edifices of Christianity. It is a flat-roofed basilica erected by Patriarch Poppo in 1031 on the site of an earlier church, and rebuilt about 1379 in the Gothic style by Patriarch Marquad.
The ancient buildings of Aquileia served as stone quarries for centuries, and no edifices of the Roman period remain above ground. Excavations have revealed one street and the north-west angle of the town walls, while the National Archaeological Museum (one of the most important museum of Ancient Rome in the world) contains over 2,000 inscriptions, statues and other antiquities, as well as glasses of local production and a numismatics collection.
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The rain can not obscure the fascination of this wonderful city. Every visit gives always new emotions.
Distance from Lignano about 100 km., about 1 hour and 10 minutes by car.
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The lagoon of Marano together with its oasi is one of the most important and beautiful nature reserve both in the italian peninsula and Europe, it's an attraction for tousand of visitors.
During the excursion Capitan Geremia and his crew will give you a live lesson of ecology. It will be an unforgettable experience for adults and children, for all those who loves nature, but also for all those who just wants to spend a day in good company, meeting new friends in the warm atmosfere of the "casone", where you will make a stop for refreshments finding music and happyness with the guitars of Capitan Geremia.
"... the magic silence of this landscape that hovers between the sky and the sea, where the time goes by slowly and the rhythm of the life is exactly the same as it was many years ago."
E. Hemingwey, ''Over the river and between the trees''
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Who comes to Concordia will see the town center that is reflected in the peaceful river Lemene.
Stands out from all the bell tower, almost vigilant sentinel ancestor and how that leads over time, by so many centuries, the millennial reminder of this ancient city Roman and Christian.
The latest archaeological findings allow us to assert that the Roman Concordia rose on an important settlement of paleovenete civilisations (XII-VIII century. BC).
Remains of foundations of huts, olle, weights for the chassis, utensils and crockery cooking and a furnace are evidence of this.
This settlement was related to half of tracks to other centres such paleoveneti Vicenza, Padua, Este Adria, Altino, Oderzo and others located in Isontino and Istria.
These tracks were used and transformed into lines of communication (Via Annia 131 BC and by Postojna (148 BC) during the Roman expansion.
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Florence is the capital city of the region of Tuscany.
From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Florence lies on the Arno River. A center of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. Florence is also famous for its magnificent art and architecture. It is said that, of the 1,000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence. The city has also been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. The historic Center of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1982.
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MURANO
Murano is a small island lying on the Venice lagoon, a commercial port as far back as the 7th Century. In 1291, the Venetian Republic ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano because the glassworks represented a fire danger in Venice, whose buildings were mostly wooden at the time, and, with time, they became the best glassmakers of the world.
Murano is still an exporter of traditional products like mirrors and glassware, and its factories produce modern items such as faucet handles, glass lampshades, and electric chandeliers, as well as paperweights, glass beads and necklaces, knickknacks, and items of glass jewelry.
BURANO
Burano is a marvelous island, a heaven that enchants the tourists, not only for the historical themes, but even for its charm, for the unreal silence of its mornings, for the happy bawling and for the peculiar local dialect, that has the characteristic to lengthen, almost to double, the consonants.
The historic traces that the island still preserves are almost all contained in the ample church devoted to S. Martin, a construction of the XVI century. The big square in front of the church is dedicated to Baldassarre Galuppi, who was the famous musician called the Buranello, pride of Burano. The Islands houses the Lace Museum which tells the epic story of the Burano lace makers.
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Rome is the capital city of Italy and of the Lazio region, as well as the country's largest and most populous comune, with more than 2.7 million residents. Its metropolitan area is Italy's second after Milan. It is located in the central-western portion of the Italian peninsula, where the river Aniene joins the Tiber. An enclave of Rome is the State of the Vatican City, the sovereign territory of the Holy See, the smallest nation in the world, and the capital of the only religion to have representation in the United Nations. Rome is thoroughly modern and cosmopolitan. As one of the few major European cities that escaped World War II relatively unscathed, central Rome remains essentially Renaissance and Baroque in character. The Historic Centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
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Verona is an ancient town, episcopal see, and province in Veneto, Northern Italy. The ancient town and the center of the modern city are in a loop of the Adige River near Lake Garda. Because of this position, the areas saw regular floodings until 1956, when the Mori-Torbole tunnel was constructed, providing 500 cubic meters of discharge from the Adige river to the Garda lake in case of flood danger. The tunnel reduced the risk of floodings from once every seventy years to once every two centuries.
Verona is famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the Arena, completed around 30 AD, which is the third largest in Italy, after Rome's Colosseum and the arena at Capua.It measures 139 meters long and 110 meters wide, and could seat some 25,000 spectators in its 44 tiers of marble seats. The ludi (shows and gladiator games) performed within its walls were so famous that they attracted spectators from far beyond the city. The current two-story façade is actually the internal support for the tiers; only a fragment of the original outer perimeter wall in white and pink limestone from Valpolicella, with three stories remains.The interior is very impressive and is virtually intact, and has remained in use even today for public events, fairs, theatre and open-aired opera during warm, Summer nights.
Verona is the setting of the story of Romeo and Juliet, made famous by William Shakespeare. Although the earliest version of the story is set in Siena, not Verona — the move was made in Luigi da Porto's Istoria novellamente ritrovata di due Nobili Amanti — a balcony falsely claiming historical connection to the fictional lovers has become a tourist attraction for lovers; the short passageway leading to the balcony is covered with slips of paper carrying their graffiti, and a bronze statue of Juliet stands under the balcony, one breast polished by those touching it for luck.
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The city of Vicenza , with a population of just over 100,000 inhabitants has one of the highest ratios of monumental buildings to population in Italy . First settled by the Romans, Vicenza is the official home of Palladian architecture and its city centre reflects the inspirational leadership of Vicenza 's most famous adopted son - Andrea Palladio.
Throughout the cities landscape there are numerous examples of the great architects works that include his Basilica that can be found in the main square of the city surrounded by equally important buildings of different ages and architectural styles in a setting that used to be the home to the ancient Roman forum of Vicenza .
In the adjacent back-streets running directly off Corso Palladio the main street of Vicenza you'll find numerous Palazzi ( Palaces) built by Palladio for the local Vicentine nobility. Buildings from later periods also reflect the influence of Palladio and his architecture, but as you make your way around Vicenza you'll see fine examples of Medieval architecture dating from the ninth century, as well as examples of other periods including fascist architecture from the last century.
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Excursion in High Friuli:
The butterfly house is situated in the center of Bordano UD, between the slopes of Mount San Simeon and the river Tagliamento
Daily is courting, they feed on flowers and breed, over 400 of the most beautiful butterflies in the world. The large gardens with tropical butterflies are three: Amazzonian, Afro-tropical and Indo-Australian. This feature makes this as original initiative, even compared to other houses worldwide, which does not separate the butterflies on the basis of origin.
Inside the "Butterfly house" you can see all stages of development of butterflies: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly.
Cavazzo Lake or Three municipalities Lake, with its perimeter of about 6.500 meters, is the largest lake in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Probably owes its origins to a branch of the Tagliamento River remained blocked by natural land in a natural basin dug in time by glaciation. The coasts of the basin with the Monte Festa and the San Simeone overlooking the lake, are quite steep.
Salino waterfall in the municipality of Paularo UD.
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Conegliano (36.000 inhabitants), native city of the famous painter G.B. Cima (1457-1517) and seat of the oldest Oenological School of Italy (1876), it's nowadays the most dynamic economic and cultural reality in the province of Treviso
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Bolca is a town near between Vicenza and Verona which is known for its quarry of fossils - extraordinarily beautiful petrified fishes.
The museum in the center of Bolca has three rooms: in the first, by means of pictures and written descriptions, the geographic and geological features of the area are illustrated; the second room exhibits ichthyolites from Pesciara and other places in the valley; and the third room is reserved for new finds which excavations in the quarry bring to light from year to year. Standing out from amongst all the exhibited material is the wonderful "pesce angelo" (Eoplatax papilio) which was found, with three speciments, between 1970 and 1972.
Opening hours: every day except monday: from November to February from 10 a.m. till 12 a.m. and from 14 p.m. till 17 p.m.. From March to October from 09 a.m. till 13 p.m. and from 14 p.m. 18.30 p.m.
Tel. 0445 6565088
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Pordenone was created in the High Middle Ages as a river port on the Noncello, with the name Portus Naonis. In the area, however, there were already villas and agricultural settlements in the Roman age. In 1378, after having been administrated by several feudatories, the city was handed over to the Habsburg family, forming an Austrian enclave within the territory of Patriarchate of Aquileia. In the 14th century Pordenone grew substantially due to the flourishing river trades, gaining the status of city in 1314.
In 1514 it was acquired by the Republic of Venice, under which a new port was built and the manufacturers improved.
After the Napoleonic parenthesis Pordenone was included in the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. The railway connection and the construction of the Pontebbana road implied the decline of the port, but spurred a substantial industrial development (especially for the working of cotton). Pordenone was annexed to Italy in 1866.
The cotton sector, however, decayed after the damage of World War I and the 1929 crisis, to never recover at all. After World War II the local Zanussi became a world giant of household appliances, and in 1968 Pordenone became capital of the province with the same name, including territory belonging to Udine.
After WWII, Pordenone, as well as the rest of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, became garrison for many military units, in order to prevent an eventual Soviet invasion from east. The heavy military presence was an important factor in the economical development of this once depressed area. Pordenone is as now garrison of the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete".
Since 1981, Pordenone has been the primary host to Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, a world-famous festival of silent film. The next such festival is slated to be held in Pordenone from October 6-13, 2007.
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Close to Concordia Sagittaria there is to discover the lovely city of Portogruaro. It is less known to tourists, therefore you can have a good time there enjoing the city that kept its face for centuries.
There are many renaissance palazzos in venecian gothic style and a exceptional city hall that was build in 1300. Enjoy the flair having a walk through the city centre (which is not too big) visiting the antique mills.
You have been warned: it's not too difficult to fell in love to its beauty. At least You would not happen to be the first one.
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Sacile is a town of 19,379 inhabitants in the province of Pordenone, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-east Italy. The historic centre is located on two islands of the river Livenza. The town is known as the ‘Garden of the Serenissima’ after the many palaces constructed for the nobility of the Most Serene Republic of Venice which line the banks of the river.
Sacile developed in the seventh century as a strong-point on the route from Veneto to Friuli. Whether the islands upon which it was built are natural or man-made is not clear. A cathedral and a castle were built on the larger of the two, while the smaller had the port and was the place for traders. The town became part of the Patriarchate of Aquileia on its creation in 1077; in 1190 the Patriarch conferred on it city rights. Sacile was the first city in Friuli to have a Communal Statute. The city was besieged on a number of occasions by troops of Venice and Treviso. In 1420 Sacile, along with the rest of Friuli, was annexed by the Republic of Venice. Under Venetian rule the river trade expanded and many noble families built palaces on the banks of the Livenza. The fall of the Republic in 1797 caused an economic crisis in Sacile. On April 15, 1809 French troops were defeated by the Austrians in the Battle of Sacile which took place in the nearby hamlet of Camolli. In 1815, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna, Sacile became part of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. The coming of the railway in 1855 did much to restore the economic position of Sacile. In 1866 Sacile was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy and saw the beginnings of industrial activity. During the First and Second World Wars the town was repeatedly bombarded on account of the strategic importance of the Venezia–Udine railway. The earthquake of 18 October 1936 caused great damage to the town’s buildings and to its ancient city walls.
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Sauris is famous for its food. This includes smoked salami and grappa but especially the prosciutto, the sweet cured ham, smoked with beech wood, flavoured with juniper and herbs and left for a month for it to season.
Sauris has dedicated a special local holiday to its ham which lasts two full weekends in the middle of July when the hamlets are fitted out with wooden stalls and you can sample prosciutto ham, speck, gnocchi, barbecue foods, sweets and cakes and countless other delicacies.
There are stalls where you can buy food products from the Carnic mountains and the lively craft fair where you can watch the craftsmen at work, sculpting utensils for everyday use and creating the typical wooden Carnival masks. All to the accompaniment of music, traditional dance and street spectacles.
The Distance from Lignano is about 1 hour and 44 minutes by car
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A Roman centre. Here Longobard princes built the abbey of Santa Maria in Silvis, where Benedictine monks settled in the early 8th century. What remains of the ancient monastery is a jewel of medieval art and architecture: the Basilica with its courtyard and a cycle of frescoes by Giotto. In the crypt there is a valuable bas-relief of the Annunciation and the sarcophagus of St. Anastasia, a master piece of Longobard art from the 8th century. On the atrium portal of the church the coat of arms of Pietro Barbo, the future pope Paul II, is carved.
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Tarvisio is located in the northeastern part of the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the province of Udine, at the border both to Austria and Slovenia, in the Val Canale. The town has a population of about 5,500 and is located about 750m above sea level.
A view of Tarvisio in 1915.As the rest of the Val Canale, the town was mostly Slovenian-speaking in 1918, but today both Slovenes and German-speakers are only a minority compared to Italians.
The roots of Tarvisio date back to Roman times. Up to 1918, it was part of Carinthia. It is located upon ancient trade routes and also had considerable importance because of nearby mines. For a long time, Tarvis benefited economically from people coming from Austria and Yugoslavia for purposes of shopping. Today, tourism and winter sports have become important industries, for which the Karavanke, the Carnic Alps and the Julian Alps offer good opportunities.
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Tarvisio is located in the northeastern part of the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the province of Udine, at the border both to Austria and Slovenia, in the Val Canale. The town has a population of about 5,500 and is located about 750m above sea level.
A view of Tarvisio in 1915.As the rest of the Val Canale, the town was mostly Slovenian-speaking in 1918, but today both Slovenes and German-speakers are only a minority compared to Italians.
The roots of Tarvisio date back to Roman times. Up to 1918, it was part of Carinthia. It is located upon ancient trade routes and also had considerable importance because of nearby mines. For a long time, Tarvis benefited economically from people coming from Austria and Yugoslavia for purposes of shopping. Today, tourism and winter sports have become important industries, for which the Karavanke, the Carnic Alps and the Julian Alps offer good opportunities.
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The Late Romanesque-Early Gothic church of San Francesco, built by the Franciscan community in 1231-1270. Used by Napoleonic troops as a stable, it was reopened in 1928. The interior has a single nave with five chapels. On the left wall is a Romanesque-Byzantine fresco portraying St. Christopher (later 13th century). The Grand Chapel has a painting of the Four Evangelists, by a pupil of Tommaso da Modena, to whom is instead directly attributed a fresco of Madonna with Child and Seven Saints (1350) in the first left chapel. The successive chapel has instead a fresco with Madonna and Four Saints from 1351 by one Master from Feltre. The church, among the others, houses the tombs of Pietro Alighieri, son of Dante, and Francesca Petrarca, daughter of the poet Francesco.
The Loggia dei Cavalieri, an example of Treviso's Romanesque influenced by Byzantine forms. It was built under the podestà Andrea da Perugia (1276) as a place for meetings, talks and games, although reserved only to the higher classes.
Piazza dei Signori (Lords' Square)), with the Palazzo di Podestà (later 15th century).
Church of San Nicolò, a mix of 13th century Venetian Romanesque and French Gothic elements. The interior has a nave and two aisles, with five apsed chapels. It houses important frescoes by Tommaso da Modena, depicting St. Romuald, St. Agnes and the Redemptor and St. Jerome in His Study. Noteworthy is also the fresco of St. Christopher in the eastern area of the church, which is the most ancient depiction of glass in Europe.
The Duomo (Cathedral), dedicated to St. Peter. It was once a small church built in the Late Roman era, to which later were added a crypt and the Chapels of the Santissimo and the Malchiostro (1520). After the numerous later restorations, only the gate remains of the originary Roman edifice. The interior houses works by Il Pordenone and Titian among the others. The edifice has seven domes, five over the nave and two closing the chapels.
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Valvasone is situated east of the River Tagliamento and south of the Pontebbana main road, which, from the Austrian border and through Friuli, leads into Veneto. Founded by the Romans and fortified by the Longobards, Valvasone is a pleasant little town that preserves age-long memories and vestiges. Besides the town planning structure of old medieval village, numerous architectural typologies of past periods have kept intact.
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Venzone is a charming medieval town that was declared "monument of great historical-artistic interest" by a government decree in 1965. However the earthquake in 1976 destroyed it almost completely. The rebuilding of Venzone followed a philological method, that's to say that the palaces, walls and houses of the old town have been pieced back together by using the original stones and integrating new ones only when the original ones were completely unusable or destroyed.
In this little town surrounded by imposing mountains
you can admire the 14-th century outer walls and gates,the Venetian-Gothic Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), located in a beautiful piazza decorated with flowers
in the heart of the historical center and the marvelous Cathedral which, along with its imposing Bell Tower, is one of the most remarkable monuments in the region. Among the narrow streets of this
picturesque medieval citadel it's nice to make stop in one of the many cafés or in the characteristic shops selling typical craftwork!
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The military memorial place of Redipuglia (Slovenian Sredipolje or in Italian "Terra di mezzo" - "Land of the centre") lies in the community of Fogliano Redipuglia (province Gorizia). It is the largest war memorial in Italy built by projects of the architect Giovanni Greppi and the sculptor Giannino Castiglioni. Inaugurated in the year 1938, it holds the remains of approx. 100.000 solders of the First World War.
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The Giant cave which is only 15 kilometres from Trieste on the Carso of Trieste is the biggest tourist cave in the world and has been opened to the public since 1908.
It is placed near the homonymous village and can be reached easily from the town also by taking a bus or the famous tram of Opicina. The enormous hall is 107 metres high, 280 metres long and 65 metres large. A confortable and steep path and a suggestive electric lighting allew a pleasant visit of about 45 minutes. The tourist can have a look at the wonderful and charming underground world represented by the caves and at the rich calcite concretions, the highest of which is no less than 12 metres high.
The exceptional characteristics, and the constant temperatures in the Giant cave during the whole year, have suggested to place two geodetical pendula, 100 metres high approximately (the longest in the world) and other scientific instruments. The Museum of speleology is near the cave and besides the various speleological, geological and paleontological finds it also includes some valuable archeological pieces and a poster collection of the cave. Two wide parkings are available on the outside. Visits are sheduled in good times and with expert guides.
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The visit, during which a guide provides all information about the cave, takes about 50 minutes. After a first ramp, the path leads down slightly in the Great Staircase, boldly built with 360 stone steps.
The vision from upstairs is marvellous: it seems to see, at night, a valley far away. The headlights illuminate the Great Cave. With a path of ramps you arrive soon at the base of the cave. Thousands of concretions that nature has been able to create with all shades of color, ranging from yellow, pink, red, due to the presence of iron oxide present in the percolation.
The path continues around behind the Great Hall, passing near large concretions such as Pulpit and Palma (the latter 7 metres high from the base) and then alongside the Nymph Palace, a sea of stalactites and stalagmites.
A handy artificial tunnel, leads exactly on the top of the cave at the Belvedere terrace, about 100 metres high from which you can see hundreds of stalactites. A short climb further, the skeleton of Ursus Speleus.
The visit concludes with a walk in a short ravine, where a small botanical garden contains the typical vegetation of Carso.
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The world-famous caves of Postonja hide the masterpieces of limestone under the earth. They were created in million years by a particular artist: the karst water. At the biginning it is possible to visit the cave with a train and the eletric ligthing allows to admire the size and the splendour of the underground world. The constant temperature in the caves ranges from 8 to 10° C.
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In a frame of pure beauty, between green forests and majestic mountains is situated Villanova of the Cave, defined "the balcony on the Alta Val Torre" for its marvellous view. The underworld gards a Carsic patrimony of remarkable proportions and immense fascination: the splendid Cave of Villanova. A magical world, hidden in the heart of the earth, where the nature has carved one of its greater wonders. Imposing galleries, small hidden niches, splendid halls adorn of stalactites and stalagmites takes his form thanks to to the patient and unstoppable work of the water, during the silent passing of the year millions... Along the tourist feature it is possible to admire a great atmosphere variety, crossed by the inner torrent that, with its memoir, accompanies the way of the visitors...
TOURIST ITINERARY: accessible to anyone, good illuminate and it is supplied with comfortable communication trenches. The guided visit, takes beyond 1 hour, crosses the ‘’Hall of the Small lake", the "Branch of the Paradise", "Hall of the Great Landslide", where can be admired a faithful reproduction of the "Ursus Spelaeus" (the frightening Bear of the Caverns). Wide galleries from the singular shapes lead the visitors towards places of incomparable beauty, as the spectacular "Angle of Crystals" and "Hall of the Great Door", with its majestic natural arc.
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In 1267, Gebardo of Wrusperg received the fortress as a feudal residence for himself and his brother Enrico from Patriarch Gregorio di Montelongo. In 1296 Patriarch Raimund von Thurn (Raimondo della Torre) reinforced its defences assigning it to Volrico di Ermanno Comoretto, also known as De Argis. In 1313 it was sold to the Count of Gorizia; in 1336 it passed to the Savorgnan family who kept it for centuries. The family added to and fortified its defences, so much so that in 1413 they were able to resist the siege of Siegmund of Hungary. Up until the construction of the fortress of Palmanova (1593) the castle had great strategic importance, on account of the navigability of the Stella river which flowed along its walls, a useful communication route. It later fell into decay and the palace which stands today took its place.
The side of the palace facing the Stella river is very impressive, with its sombre and linear red-brick façade and the beautiful Italian-style garden leading directly to the river banks.
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Castle of Cassacco: before the inhabited area, on the right, it is possible to admire the fortress that is situated on the top of the hill. The studies maded around the castle discovered that it was built on Romanesque foundations (the sixth century after Christ), obliterated from the actual structure, which goes back, in all probability to 1480, year of a restoration cited in a stone walled in the entrance hall. Main characteristic of the castle is the two towers, adorned with a turn of little hanging arches and joined by a lower fabric. Later other buildings were approached to the main structure.
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The Castle of Colloredo di Monte Albano: one of more celebrated (it was for some time residence of Ippolito Nievo) and better conserved - until the earthquake of 1976 - of the entire Friuli. The complex was constituted from a series of buildings, which were erected since the fifteen century. After the earthquake the restoration of the tower and the west wing has been concluded, while all the structures of the east wing remain to the state of ruin and unfortunately have been recovered only a minimal part of the stuccoes and frescoes, produced by Giovanni da Udine, famous painter and decorator, student of Raffaello.
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Planted firmly on the last rock spur of the Carso high above the Gulf of Trieste, hard by the clifftop path named after the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Castle is not just another austere stately home. An unusual case in Italy, and far more interesting, it is the living - even vibrant - residence of the princely family of Torre e Tasso. The owners have decided to open the gardens and most of their Castle home to the public for tours. The Castle is a solid composite construction dominated by a 16th-century tower which holds intact a structure whose origins go back 2,000 years, as witnessed by the commemorative stone placed there in the 3rd century to mark a visit by the Emperor Diocletian. Thanks to its natural setting and the fascination of being an old stately residence and at the same time a living home, Duino Castle is without doubt among the most attractive castles in Europe. From its clifftop location it overlooks a small fishing village which has now become a tourist centre and holiday village, and is surrounded by extensive gardens. In its interior, the furnishings, pictures, valuables, books and mementoes collected over centuries bestow a warm, elegant atmosphere on the Castle, while its gardens - with their centuries-old trees, manicured lawns, cascades of flowers and architectural features - are an invitation to relax and enjoy quiet walks. A path running through the gardens leads directly to a private beach below. The charming hospitality offered by the Princes of Torre e Tasso is well known. For centuries these walls have been a venue for discussion, consultation and study. Just as it is an honour to be received at the Castle, so departure leaves the guest with a feeling of regret, a delicate nostalgia.
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Villa Codroipa (later re-named Villa Rota), now an estate of the Dukes Badoglio, stands on the site of a earlier castle, probably a Medieval fortress known as Castellutto. Its existence was first documented in 1258, when Corrado and Rodolfo di Savorgnano handed back to Patriarch Gregorio di Montelongo “castrum et villam inferiorem de Flambro”. At the end of the 14th century the Patriarch assigned it to Ermanno d’Orensperch; in the 15th century it came under the jurisdiction of the Counts of Gorizia and became an estate of the Lords of Codroipo, acting as an Imperial outpost in Venetian territory.
The present building, mostly dating back to the 18th century, still retains a few architectural features (such as the gatehouse and the ditch) which hark back to its original Medieval appearance. The villa is surrounded by a large English-style garden, probably created at the beginning of the last century and characterized by a large number of karst springs (in Italian, risorgive) created by the outflowing of karst ground waters.
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Small rural village of Fontanabona, whose name derives from the source, that gushes out in its central little square. The country is dominated from the castle of medieval origin (rearranged in the eighteenth century) and from its splendid garden, characterized from the presence of rare and secular plants. The first news of the place goes back in all probability in the tenth century; sure is that in a document of 1196 is cited Corrado di Guttenbrunnen (German translation of Fontanabona), member of the local feudal family, extinguished in 1587. Since 1969 the castle belongs to the Region Friuli after the donation of Raimondo Capsoni de Rinoldi.
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The Castle, built within the Middle Ages walls, was once the seat of the administrative and judiciary power of the county. It is divided into the Corte dei Lanzi (with foundings of a high tower demolished in the 16th century), the Palazzetto dei Conti (13th century) and the Palazzetto Veneto. The Lanzi were the armed guards, the term being an Italian form of Landsknecht. The palatine chapel, entitled to Saint Bartholomew houses canvases of the Venetian school of painting and traces of Renaissance frescoes. There is also a Museum of the Goritian Middle Ages.
The Cathedral (originally erected in the 14th century), like many of the city's buildings, was almost entirely destroyed during World War I. It has been rebuilt following the forms of the 1682 edifice, a Baroque church with splendid stucco decoration. A Gothic chapel of San Acatius is annexed to the nave.
The most important church of Gorizia is that of St. Ignatius, built by the Jesuits in 1680-1725. It has a single nave with precious sculptures at the altars of the side chapels. In the presbitery Christoph Tausch painted a Glory of St. Ignatius in 1721.
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The castle is an imposing structure several storeys high. Notable elements of the complex include the entrance tower, the defensive wing, the residential wing, and the tower in the background – the tallest part of the building. The attentive visitor will observe that the different sections of the castle date from different periods and differ in terms of architectural style, and that by linking the old and new sections the builders exploited the advantages of the cave while at the same time preserving the shelter and impregnability offered by the original Castle.
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Castle of Ragogna: The local castle, of which remain the tower and the town-walls, was founded sure in remote times; Paolo Diacono speaks about it, telling of two occupations of the Friuli from barbarian people (in the 610 and 693) and Venanzio Fortunato at the beginning of the eleventh century. A small museum shows all the objects, which were found during the excavations around the castle and the surrounding zones (the exposure is near the Cultural Centre of the common, locality San Giacomo).
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The castle of Rive d’Arcano (Rives d' Arcjan): The monumental complex is the best conserved of the entire region. It maintains the architectonic and decorative “stratification”, that allows to observe the Romanesque mullioned windows of the top storey and the decorations in frescoes of the lunch room, painted in the eighteenth century by Andrea Urbani from Padua.
Distanza da Lignano km. 61, raggiungibile in automibile in ca. 1 ora e 5 minuti
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First mentioned in 1274 as “Castrum Zazilet” but probably dating from a much earlier period, Saciletto Castle guarded the ancient Roman road that went from Aquileia to Cividale. Its strategic location in the lower Friulian plains made it an object of contention between the Patriarch of Aquileia and the Count of Gorizia. Ceded in 1303 by Ossalco di Saciletto to Patriarch Ottobono di Razzi in exchange for other property, the castle was attacked and burned down on 11 November 1315 by the troops of Count of Gorizia who had sided with other feudal lords, such as Rizzardo di Camino, the Pramperos, the Spilimbergos, the Cucagnas, and the Zuccolas. Passed under the jurisdiction of the Counts of Porcia who administered it since 1335, it was recorded in 1490 as an estate of Patriarch Marco Barbo. One year later, on 16 May 1491, it was passed to Giovanni Francesco di Lucinico and Bernardino Antonini; in 1518 the Antoninis became sole proprietors keeping the estate until the death of Alfonso Antonini in 1837, when it was passed to the Valentinis. The castle was restored in the 19th century in a romantic style.
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The Castle - in which several rooms, including the Sala Caprin, are open to the public - houses a Museum displaying historical weapons and is regularly used for the staging of exhibitions, events and, in the summer, open-air shows. A walk on the Castle ramparts and bastions gives a complete panorama of the city of Trieste, its hills and the sea. The archaeological excavations and the consequent urban plan of the 1930s, which made an area below the Castle a Park of Remembrance of those fallen in all wars since the First World War, are distinguished by the sobriety of the monuments and the richness of the greenery which make San Giusto an oasis of peace.
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The Castello di Sopra (Upper castle), like the nearby Castello di Sotto (Lower Castle), built in the same period, is placed in the heart of a lovely medieval village, surrounded by a centuries-old park touched by spring water streams. The two castles are among the very few manor houses which have always belonged to the same family (the Strassoldo family) who built them nearly a thousand years ago and are so-called "water-castles" of the Spring-Water Area of the Friulan flat land.
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