EUROPE - ITALY : DISCOVER FRIULI - YOU'LL BE AMONG THE FIRST
by Doreen Vanini



One of Friuli's greatest assets is what it doesn't have - many other tourists. Just 120 kilometres from tourist-filled Venice, the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (the northeastern corner of Italy, bordering Austria and Slovenia) offers beautiful sandy beaches, mountains for climbing and skiing, vineyards to tour, historical sites and attractive shopping.

The area has been influenced by its many invaders of the past. They contributed to the language, the cuisine and the people's cautious natures. They’re wary yet welcoming, as Friulian hospitality is a point of pride among the people.

You can travel from the golden sand beaches of Lignano on the Adriatic coast to the snow-topped mountains of the Carnic Alps in under two hours. That same length of time takes you from the border city of Gorizia in the east to the next region of Veneto in the west. In between are the verdant plains and gentle slopes that produce some of the finest wines of Italy.

Friuli’s many towns and small cities each offer their own history, style and specialty. Tourists might want to base themselves in Udine, capital of its province.

Its "old town" today is a smart shopping area with the city's best stores and bookshops and sidewalk cafes. Its tradition is to enjoy a cappuccino in the afternoon here, but in Friuli, as in all Italy, stopping in un caffé or bar is very much a way of life, throughout the day. They may be big or small, but most are handsomely decorated and welcoming, in that "there are a lot of people, but still room for me" feeling.

Udine's centre is its castle, estimated to be just over 1,000 years old. It sits in Piazza Libertá, the square surrounded by many historic buildings, including the Church of Santa Maria, the oldest in the city. This square leads on to the fashionable piazza of San Giacomo, with its outdoor café, daily fruit and vegetable market and church of San Giacomo.

From Udine as a base, you can take day trips and visit one or two smaller cities or towns a day. and snowy tops. Cividale is a great place to begin. Just 17km to the east of Udine, it's situated with a clear view of the Carnic Alps, with their gentle slopes and snowy tops. Cividale was the region's link to the Roman Republic. Its former name was Forum Julii after Julius Caesar, whose statue graces the main square, in front of the beautiful church of Santa Maria Assunta. Also on the square is Cividale’s archaeological museum, with items of pottery, armaments and jewellery that date back to 586 BC. Cividale’s ponte dal diavolo, (the devil's bridge) is an oft-photographed point for the gracious structure of the bridge, the winding Natisone River running beneath it, and the historic church and buildings (now apartments) that line its banks.

About 20km southeast of Udine is the nine-pointed walled city of Palmanova. Built in Venetian style in 1593, it has a large square in its centre, with streets radiating out to the still intact walls. Today tourists sit in outdoor cafés in the square and shop in the elegant boutiques that line the streets.

Roman ruins can be found in Aquileia, 37km south of Udine. It was founded by the Romans in 181 BC, taking over as the main link to the Republic from Cividale. Columns remain of the forum, the circus and basilica; walking around the town one can see evidence of the baths, monastery and city gates. A key site is the Church of San Giusto, for its fabulous floor mosaics.

Keep going south to the Adriatic coast, drive across the causeway, past the tiny island church of St. Barbara and you are in Grado, sister city to Aquileia. Grado is one of the region's beach resorts (the larger Lignano is the other) that share 32km of coastline.

This is a place to relax, to rent an umbrella and sit on the flat sandy beach, go for a stroll around the marina in the centre of the city. The jewel of Grado is its "old town", a tangle of narrow streets, between 1,000-year-old buildings, opening up into crowded squares with excellent restaurants, serving fresh fish. While wandering through, watch for the basilica of St. Eufemia, begun in the 5th C. AD, with its mosaic floor.

Going west from Udine are the cities of Pordenone, Codroipo and the medieval town of Spilimbergo, favourably located on a plain near the Tagliamento River. Its gothic cathedral was begun in 1284 and it is decorated with frescoes from the 14th century, but it is most famous for its school for learning the art of mosaics.

Friuli's capital city is Trieste, located at the eastern tip of the region, on the Adriatic. It has a long and turbulent history of switching countries, between Italy and Yugoslavia, and its strongest influence, even to its architecture, came from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The main government buildings were designed by of Austria's finest architect of the 1850s. Trieste is a port city, with a history as a major trading and shipbuilding centre. Today some of the world’s largest luxury cruise ships are still built in nearby Monfalcone.

For camping, walking and hiking, there are four major national parks, and there are the mountains - the Carnic Alps, which dominate the north of the region. Skiers flock to Tolmezzo and Tarvisio for excellent day and night skiing. In 2003 Tarvisio is host to the Winter University Games, bringing thousands of young skiers to the area for three days of competition. In this area you can also visit the town of Gemona, which has seen major reconstruction after an earthquake in 1976 all but levelled the town.

Friuli produces some of the world's finest wines and many wineries offer tours and meals, and stays in what the region calls Agritourism. These are farm stays, where visitors are guests in homes and get a chance to see and experience the new and many old ways of farming – and enjoy rustic Friulian cuisine as well.

The region is studded with fine restaurants offering northern Italian and local Friulian cuisine. It's a hearty cuisine, based on local products, like corn (polenta, which is made from corn, was a staple until after WWII) pork, rice and chicken. The best prosciutto comes from Friuli, from San Daniele and lately from Sauris. Many restaurants today offer the local products, prepared in an imaginative and eye-appealing manner.

For example, in the town of Mortegliano (population 2,000, 15km southeast of Udine) is the charming restaurant, da Nando. No menu is presented, but the waiter, usually one of the owners, recites the day's features. While enjoying a glass of prosecco (dry white sparkling wine), you are presented with tastes of four or five antipasti, each attractively prepared, then pastas or rice or gnocchi, followed by the main courses of meat or fish. If you're still capable of dessert, the créme fraiche with berries is a perfect end to the meal.

Osterie (small bar/caf) in any town are fun to visit, where the locals drop by throughout the day for their espresso or a glass of wine and a chat about sports – a favourite topic – or politics. Most towns have a number of them.

For shoppers in Friuli, the best buys are fine, wool sweaters, which can be purchased from smart designer label-filled department stores, boutiques, where the sales person knows and describes each item, or even at city markets. Large booths display an excellent variety and you can bargain for the best prices. A local item is ceramics, hand-painted with a recognizable floral pattern. You can purchase plates, cups, vases, and small pitchers, called bocai, that are used to serve wine. You’ll find malls on the outskirts of some cities, and even a few 'big box' stores, selling everything.

Photo: courtesy Trieste Tourism


SCRIBBLES ETCETERAS

Accommodation is good and varied, from 4-star hotels to B&Bs.

Air: The closest airport to Trieste and Udine is in Ronchi (outside Trieste). Alitalia offers daily flights from Rome.

Getting around is easy, with a very good local bus service that reaches all corners. Trains are clean and run frequently within the region, to other parts of Italy and outside the country.
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