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The youngest province on the border of the Veneto region has it all
The province of Pordenone
WHAT TO VISIT IN PORDENONE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS?
GUIDED TOUR OF PORDENONE
The province of Pordenone is the least known of Friuli Venezia Giulia and that's unjustified because there is plenty to do and see. Pordenone is next to the Veneto region, of which Venice is the capital.
Pordenone is bordered to the northwest by the foothills of the Alps and Dolomites where you can ski in the Piancavallo ski resort. It's rich of nature and culture, visit one of the lakes such as the beautiful Lago di Barcis and make a sightseeing tour to cities and hidden gems scattered all over this province.
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Pordenone, birthplace of the famous Renaissance painter 'Il Pordenone'. You can see several of his works in the Cathedral and the Museum of Arts. Or how about Valvasone that hosts inside its 16th century Cathedral a still funcioning organ beautifully decorated and painted.
Rare frescoes from no less than the 14th century can be admired in the Abbey of Santa Maria in Sylvis in Sesto al Reghena. The experts say that these were made by students of 'Giotto'- the great Italian painter-. The Abbey is built on the remains of a monastery dating from the 8th century to the time of the Lombards.
Make a visit to the "Garden of the Serenissima" and go to Sacile. Sacile is located on Livenza river banks and was in the 16th century, very popular amongst the Venetian nobility and wealthy merchants because here they built their second homes with huge gardens and parks. Some of them are still visitable.
A visit to the province of Pordenone is not complete without a visit to the city of Spilimbergo, famous for its Mosaic-school. The city alone is magnificent. The Cathedral and the "painted house" - la casa Dipinta - are a feast for the eyes. The frescoes on the buildings and medieval city gates and palazzi make you go back in time. Her you find the most important mosaic-school of Italy founded in 1922. Today the students come from all over the world to learn this special profession. The pebbles they use come from the nearby Tagliamento river. The largest and widest river in the region that literally cuts the region in two.
WHAT ABOUT:
PORDENONE
Pordenone is the capital of the province of Pordenone. With approximately 50,000 inhabitants, it is not a big city but that makes it more accessible and easier to visit. The historical center with its beautiful palazzi, churches and town hall provides a cozy and intimate atmosphere and is easily visitable in half a day.
The city is built along the banks of the river Noncello and used to be in Roman times an important river port then called Portus Naonis (the port of the river Naone - current Noncello).
SACILE
They call it 'Il Giardino della Serenissima' or the 'Garden of the Serenissima' / Republic of Venice', thanks to the Venetian atmosphere that you can feel here walking through the many small streets and squares throughout the city. In the 16th century many wealthy Venetian families began to invest their money in beautiful villas and estates on the mainland. Navigating the Livenza river which runs through Sacile they could easily reach this area and it didn't take long before Sacile got this nickname. Lovely gardens and parks were made because due to the lack of space in Venice itself, the Venetians couldn't build them there.
SESTO AL REGHENA
Sesto al Reghena is a small village in the province of Pordenone with a name that has its origins in Roman times. Sesto comes from the latin word of six Roman miles that distanced this village from a road that connected Julia Concordia (nowadays Concordia Sagittaria in Veneto) to Nordicum (nowadays Austria). Reghena is the name of the river that runs through it.
The attraction of this village is the wonderful eleventh-century Abbey of Santa Maria in Sylvis famous for its many colorful frescoes dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.
SPILIMBERGO
The town of Spilimbergo can be easily called the colorful city. Walking through the main street 'Corso Roma' everywhere you look you see frescoed palazzi which house the many shops, restaurants and bars. The street leads to the main square where the Cathedral is located, even the walls of the Cathedral are painted with a big Saint, Santo Cristoforo. Not far from the church you see a drawbridge and after crossing it you're faced with the most beautiful frescoed palazzo of Spilimbergo, which name is (how else) 'palazzo dipinto' - the painted palace. This colorful tradition continues with the many mosaics sculptures you see scattered throughout the city which are made by the local mosaic school.
VALVASONE
The village was built in ancient times near a ford which made it possible to cross the rivers Tagliamento and Meduna. It used to be surrounded by walls and provided protection to the many pilgrims who stayed here to rest or get medical help in the tiny little hospital, now converted into the SS Pietro Paolo church. Inside you see medieval frescoes of Saints that are known for healing people,
In the center stands the imposing Cathedral Santissimo Corpo di Cristo. Beautifully constructed with two different colors of marble, pink and white. The church was said to be built thanks to a legend. Inside you just have to see the magnificent and original 16th century organ.
SAN VITO AL TAGLIAMENTO
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San Vito al Tagliamento is a charming and elegant medieval town with in the center a richly painted castle which was once one of the residences of the Patriarch of Aquileia. The old town of San Vito al Tagliamento is still surrounded by the medieval moat and also the three entrance gates have proudly awaited visitors for centuries.