TO VISIT
Cervignano, is the largest town in lower Friuli and a natural crossroads between Italy, Austria and Eastern countries with a very large railway interchange centre.
Worth visiting:
Villa Chiozza, home of the Triestine scientist and entrepreneur Luigi Chiozza , who transformed the land surrounding the estate into a vast English-style botanical park of 22 hectares.
Village of Strassoldo: a suggestive example of an ancient medieval village, extremely well preserved and of rare charm.
THE COLLIO
Collio is the controlled designation of origin area that stretches across the northern hilly strip of the province of Gorizia, close to the state border with Slovenia, encompassing around 1,400 hectares of specialised vineyards.
The ideal soil for wine-growing has favoured the cultivation of vines since ancient times, introduced in the area as early as pre-Roman times and later spreading during the times of the ancient Roman Empire.
Wines known and sought after since time immemorial by the ancient courts of Europe, and particularly of the Serenissima Republic and the Habsburg imperial court that long contested these lands.
Modern viticulture was born in Collio in the second half of the last century with the last century with the introduction of prized French and German wine grape varieties, which replaced some old local varieties of lesser interest.
A decisive step for viticulture in Collio is represented by the Decree of the President of the Republic of 24 May 1968 with which, these wines were recognised as Denominazione di Origine Controllata.
ISONZO
Isonzo “Esos“, the god of Trade, is the name of celtic river Isonzo dominating the guaranteed quality area of those wines produced along the region it wets.
The Isonzo guaranteed quality area is composed of a ground zone, of about 1.000 hectares of vine-yards, that extends itself to the south of the hilly area between Karst and Judrio.
Isonzo is actually the major maker of the geological conformation of this land.
The vine-growing tradition around the guaranteed quality Isonzo area started out with the foundation of Aquileia and the Friulian hinterland colonization.
It is said that the first inhabitants of this countryside, the Venetians, a population who made a living working on the land, imported the vine from Greece, increasing the trade of products grown on their lands.
AQUILEIA
Ancient city of the Roman Empire and later seat of the powerful Patriarchate from which the city took its name. The Patriarchate of Aquileia was one of the most important religious and political entities of the Middle Ages.
Aquileia preserves an important archaeological area bearing fitness to the glorious past, such as the floor mosaics and other valuable remains of the Roman and early Christian ages. The largest and best known mosaic is that of the Basilica of S. Maria Assunta dating back to the fourth century.
Aquileia is a UNESCO site since 1998.
GRADO
Elegant seaside town with a historic center with Venetian charm that reveals itself between campielli and alleys overlooked by the picturesque fishermen’s houses. Important tourist and thermal center, also known as the Island of the Sun, for its 10 km of coastline facing entirely south, never in the shade.
Grado Island is one of the oldest tourist resorts in the Upper Adriatic.
Once part of the dominion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Grado was appreciated by the Habsburg aristocracy that, since the nineteenth century, reached the island for its baths and the valuable Sea Baths.
In 1892 the Emperor Franz Joseph proclaimed Grado “Station of care and stay”, thus starting a success story that still lasts today.
PALMANOVA
Fortress city founded by the Republic of Venice in 1593 and called the “starry city” for its polygonal star plan with 9 points.
Preserved in extraordinary conditions, since 1960 it is a national monument and in 2017 it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage.
Palmanova is both a model of the Renaissance city and an example of architecture.
The Piazza Grande, a vast square of arms located exactly in the center of the fortress, houses the permanent exhibition “Tools and artificial machines to build the fortress of Palma” that reproduces life-size some of the machines used for the building of the town.
