Lower Friuli - wine itinerary
LOWER FRIULI AND THE LAGOON AREA
This route will take you through the southern part of the province of Udine, known as the Bassa, or Lower Friuli, as far as the lagoon and the Adriatic Sea. The departure point is Palmanova, easily reached from the A4 autostrada tollbooth, and the destination is Lignano, the region’s leading holiday resort.
It can be tackled in sections, depending on time available and personal interests. The places on the route are close to each other but in many cases, there is no direct link by main road. This gives visitors the opportunity to leave the major highways and take secondary roads through the quiet countryside, discovering corners of Friuli that are often missed.
The itinerary takes in three DOC wine zones: Friuli Annia, Friuli
Aquileia and Friuli Latisana. The Friuli Annia DOC zone was
established in 1995. It enjoys a particularly mild climate and
offers scenic countryside views, thanks in part to the neighbouring
lagoon of Marano. Vines planted on this terrain can acquire
excellent aromas, especially white varieties. Wine has been made in
the Friuli Aquileia DOC zone for many centuries, for grapes were grown here
in Roman times. The influence of the sea means the zone has a very
mild climate. The heart of the DOC is
Aquileia, a major historical and archaeological center. The
Friuli Latisana DOC zone extends along the southern part of the
province of Udine in the municipality of Latisana and ten or so nearby
villages. The nearby sea cossets the vines with warm breezes while
the sand and clay soil is rich in minerals, lending flavour and
aroma to the zone’s sturdy Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Fragrant
Friuli Latisana whites include Tocai Friulano, Pinot Bianco and
Chardonnay.
Typical products
Goose-based products (ragout, foie gras, ham and salami), asparagus,
honey
Typical dishes
Recipes based on fish and marshland feathered game
Bike Itineraries:
- “The Lagoon of Marano”: San Giorgio di Nogaro-Carlino-Marano Lagunare-Carlino-San Giorgio di Nogaro. 25.4 km-3/4 h-easy
- “From the Tagliamento to the Stella”: Latisana-Gorgo-Pertegada-Lignano-Pertegada-Titiano-Precenicco-Latisana. 51 km-5/6 h-medium difficulty
- “The Roots of History”: Cervignano-Villa Vicentina- Aquileia-San Lorenzo-Scodovacca-Cervignano. 31 km-3/4 h-easy
PALMANOVA
A masterpiece of military engineering,
Palmanova is a fortress-town founded by the Venetians in 1593 as
a bulwark against the devastating forays of the Turks, and to halt
the expansionist ambitions of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The
perimeter forms a nine-pointed star and there are only three gates.
In the center of the town is a large hexagonal piazza, overlooked by
the palazzi of the Venetian governor, the provveditore generale
(today, it is the town hall), the military commander, the Monte di
Pieta' (pawnbroker), loggias and the seventeenth-century cathedral.
It is possible to visit the fortifications, which include ramparts, underground walkways and old barracks. For guided tours, apply to the civic historical museum (Borgo Udine 4, tel. +39 0432 929106), which also has on display documents on the history of Palmanova and a collection of weapons. The military historical museum, in the tower of the Porta Cividale gate, relates the story of the various garrisons that have succeeded each other at Palmanova in the past
Wineries:
Filippi Lino & Federico "Casali Aurelia" (Castions di Strada)
Foffani (Clauiano, near Trivignano Udinese)
Festivals and events
Historical re-enactment in costume - July
CERVIGNANO
An important economic center and railway hub on the Friulian flatlands, Cervignano is, among other things, the home of the Consorzio Tutela Vini DOC Friuli Aquileia, whose main offices are at Scodovacca.
The town offers the interesting church of San Michele Arcangelo, built in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which also has interesting Roman remains, and not far away in the charming mediaeval hamlet of Strassoldo is a castle.
It was erected many centuries ago in a strategic position where the Via Iulia Augusta, which left Aquileia to head north to Noricum (now part of Austria), met two other major Roman roads, the Via Annia and the Via Postumia.
As early as the sixth century A.D., there is evidence of a residence, called Delle Due Torri (Two Towers), but the present-day castle was built in the early Middle Ages.
The complex comprises two separate fortifications, the Castello di Sopra and the Castello di Sotto (Upper and Lower Castles) and has always belonged to the Strassoldos. This family belonged to the class of free feudal lords, probably of Frankish or Lombard origin, and was one of the most ancient and important houses represented in the parliament of the Patria del Friuli. Their titles include Counts of the Roman Empire, Patricians of Venice, and Nobles of Hungary and Friuli.
The scene of many clashes and long disputed for its strategic position, the castle of Strassoldo was often damaged and rebuilt over the centuries. Its current configuration dates from the eighteenth century, when the two buildings were restructured and converted into country residences. All that is left of the original constructions are part of the outer walls, called the girone, and of the inner walls, known as the gironutto, the two gates, two keeps and the Torre Ottoniana tower, which belongs to the Castello di Sopra. The complex is surrounded by a moat, in which flow the waters of the Taglio. The long-established park is delightful, as is the village chapel, dedicated to Santa Maria in Vineis and decorated with fourteenth-century frescoes. The monuments of Strassoldo have a wealth of interesting stories to tell. For example, the noble chapel opposite the entrance to Castello di Sopra was the setting for the wedding of Field Marshal Radetzky to Francesca Romana Strassoldo, great-aunt of the present owner.
Over recent years, increasing interest in the privately owned historic heritage and the gen eral tendency to seek out new, exclusive areas of cultural and tourism-related significance has led to the opening of Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra, where the owners still live, for extraordinary events, such as conferences, business dinners, concerts, weddings and other occasions. Group visits (minimum twenty people) to the castle may also be booked. Visits to other privately owned castles in the region may be booked at the same telephone number (tel. +39 0431 93293 - fax +39 0431 93229, www.consorziocastelli.it - E-mail:: info@consorziocastelli.it) The two castles at Strassoldo are, with the nearby castle of Flambruzzo, part of the Castelli d’Acqua del Friuli (Water Castles of Friuli) circuit and regularly host events, including fairs: in spring, for “flowers, water and castles” and in autumn, for “fruit, water and castles”.
A short distance from Cervignano is Aiello, with its museum of the rural civilization of imperial Friuli. There are regular antique fairs, exhibitions and country fairs while gourmet food products are available at the Casetta del Buongustaio, the outlet of the Jolanda De Colo' company, which specializes in cheesecloth-wrapped goose liver and other goose-based delicacies (tel. +39 0432 997733).
Wineries
Merk di Casa Geretto
Tenuta Ca' Bolani
Villa Vitas (Strassoldo, Cervignano)
Festivals and events
At Strassoldo, fairs of craft products, antique flowers and
curiosities tied in with visits to the castles and other events.
In spring: flowers, water and castles - April
In autumn: fruit, water and castles - October
Lower Friuli - wine itinerary continue on part 2
Courtesy of Movimento Turismo del Vino - Friuli Venezia Giulia
© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
TangoItalia - Food, Wine, Travel, and... tango in Italy.
Visit Friuli:
Art-culture
Castles
Farm holidays
Friuli foods
Golf
Gastronomy
The Collio
Colli Orientali-1
Colli Orientali-2
Wine Lower Friuli
A bike trip
Thermal wellness
Arta Terme
Festivals
Cities of art:
Aquileia
Cividale
Gorizia to see
Gorizia cultures
Pordenone
Pordenone
Art in Udine
Udine
Villa Manin
Trieste:
The Cafès
Trieste
Trieste to see
Trieste one day
Trieste history
Trieste art
Trieste charme
Trieste-Carso
San Giusto
Gastronomy
Castles
Friuli sea:
Friuli Sea
Beaches
Grado
Lignano
Yacht ports
Mountains:
Friuli mounts
Carnia food
Spread Hotels
Dolomites
Dolomites Park
Prealpi Giulie
Sequals
Tarvisio
Untouched Alps
Friuli history
& traditions:
Friuli Traditions
Friuli History