“Small compendium of the universe …” this is how the writer Ippolito Nievo defined the region Friuli Venezia Giulia.
A land of ancient settlements which was gradually populated by Celts, Venetians, Romans and Lombards and got invaded several times by populations coming from east. Before the annexation to Italy it was administered by the Venetians and later by the Hapsburgs. As borderland the region Friuli Venezia Giulia preserves the cultural richness of the many cultures that meet and live here together. In 4000 years it has though developed a complex civilization, lively and persistent, which has profound, visible and invisible, memories, of a long history and seems to permeate everything himself. Sometimes it is the breath of fresh air of a sunset in the hills or the pungent scent of a sunrise seen from the mountains, surrounded by this breathtaking landscape, tidy and wild at the same time provoking fantastic memories of magical rituals of the Celts or other ancient propitiatory ceremonies addressed to the Goddess Nature. But it is in the archaeological sites that history emphatically declares its presence, in rural villages, medieval castles and splendid villas, churches everywhere on the territory. Places to visit rich in history, culture and traditions are Udine and Cividale in the first place, but also Gemona, Venzone, San Daniele del Friuli, Spilimbergo, Palmanova, Aquileia and Grado. All are within about 30 minutes, maximum up to an hour by car.
