The Grave in the province of Pordenone - 1

The Grave DOC zone in the province of Pordenone extends across the western part of Friuli Venezia Giulia, from the foothills of the mountains to the sea. The zone is bounded by the river Tagliamento and the border with the Veneto region. The soil is alluvial in origin, generally of the type rich in stones or gravel known as magredi. It was formed over the millennia by matter deposited by the rivers Meduna, Cellina and Tagliamento. It is the stones (grave) themselves, larger near the mountains and finer-grained to the south, near the coast, that ensure consistent climatic conditions. During the day, the stones at the foot of each vine absorb heat, which is released at night. This is crucial, particularly in late summer, to the full ripening of the grapes. Magredi terrain is particularly well-suited to viticulture and grapes have been grown for centuries by the peoples who lived here. Various cultures have left major historical and artistic treasures here in a natural setting of outstanding beauty. The wines have their own special characteristics. Whites are fresh, fruit-led and elegant whereas the reds are balanced, full-bodied and fragrant when young, then full-flavoured with ageing.

Typical products
Sausages: pitina, petuccia, cotechino, lengàl (cotechino sausage with tongue), brusaule (dried beef), pinduli (smoked and dried strips of lean meat), punta di coltello salami, pancetta coppata, salsiccia, traditional Friulian salami.
Cheeses: Montasio, fresh or mature salt cheese, salt or smoked ricotta, ricotta al burro, balacin (frying cheese), hard goat’s milk cheese.
Vegetables: sweet and sour green asparagus, beans, mushrooms.
White and yellow polenta flour.
Trout, fresh or smoked. Honey. Spirits.
Sweets: biscuits, pan zàl (cornbread), pinza cake and favette almond biscuits, Spilimbergo cake, bussolai or calàz (doughnuts).

Typical dishes
Frico (fried Montasio cheese, with or without potatoes), brovada e muset (cotechino with sliced pomace-steeped turnips), salami with cao (top of the milk), balote with mushrooms (salt cheese and yellow polenta kneaded together), petuccia with polenta, Montasio with polenta, meat or game with polenta, bean and barley soup, rice and potato soup, herb omelette, pumpkin dumplings with smoked ricotta cheese, potato dumplings with duck or game sauce, risottos with wild mushrooms or seasonal vegetables, trout-based dishes.

Cycling itineraries

The Source of the Livenza: Sacile - Nove - San Giovanni - Polcenigo - Gorgazzo - Santissima - Sarone - Caneva - Fiaschetti - Nove - Sacile (33.3 km – 4.5 h – medium difficulty).
Spectacular Valcellina: Montereale Valcellina - Orrido della Molassa - Barcis - Andreis - Orrido della Molassa - Montereale Valcellina (30.7 km – 3-4 h  – medium difficulty).
Looking for Pasolini: San Vito al Tagliamento - Prodolone - San Floriano - San Giovanni di Casarsa - Versuta - San Vito al Tagliamento (12.8 km – 2-3 h  – easy).
Art, Nature and Literature: Cordovado - Bagnarola - Savorgnano - Sesto al Règhena - Versiola - Bagnarola - Stalis - Fontana di Venchieredo - Cordovado (24.2 km - 3-4 h - easy).

Itinerary: Pordenone - San Quirino - Montereale Valcellina and Upper Valcellina - Maniago and Val Tramontina - Sequals Val Cosa and Val D'Arzino - Spilimbergo - San Giorgio della Richinvelda - Valvasone

PORDENONE
An important economic and industrial centre in western Friuli, Pordenone was founded as a port on the river Noncello in the tenth century. The historic centre, known as the Antica Contrada, is crossed by the main thoroughfare, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, with its porticoes and noble palazzos in the Gothic and Renaissance styles.
Places to visit
Cathedral (fifteenth century) with its seventy two metre-high Romanesque bell tower (1219-1417) and paintings by Pordenone and Tintoretto, Palazzo del Comune (thirteenth century) home of the Art Gallery, Palazzo Gregoris (seventeenth century), Palazzo dei Capitani (fifteenth century), Palazzo Ricchieri (fifteenth-seventeenth centuries) home of the Civic Art Museum, church of Santissima Trinità (sixteenth century) with works by Calderari, church of Cristo (fourteenth century) with fourteenth-century frescoes, church of San Francesco (fourteenth century), Casa Mantica (fifteenth century), Municipal Library (1765, formerly Monte di Pietà), Teatro della Concordia (1826). Castle (prehistoric in origin, rebuilt in the thirteenth century) Palazzo Amalteo (sixteenth century) at Torre. Parish church (sixteenth century), Villa Marini Cattaneo (seventeenth century) at Villanova. Parish church (sixteenth century), with works by Pordenone and Calderari at Vallenoncello. Parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore (1778-with Venetian altar) at Cordenons.

Nature
Noncello river park, Galvani park, San Valentino park, Castello di Torre (Roman archaeological excavations), Vallenoncello, Lake of Burida, Cellina-Meduna park (Magredi) at Cordenons, Vinchiaruzzo resurgent springs at Cordenons.

Craft products
Fabrics and jewellery

Festivals and events
Rogo del Pan e Vin bonfire (6 January)
Processo e Rogo della Vecia bonfire (mid-Lent)
Fortakada fair at St. Valentine's Park (25 April)
Sagra dell'Assunta fair and Palio dei Muss donkey race (August)
Palo di Maggio Fair and Sediòl race - May
International trade fair (September)
Sagra della Madonna delle Grazie fair (September)
Festival on the Nonsel river (in July)
Local antique and craft fairs are held several times each year


SAN QUIRINO
Places to visit: Parish church (sixteenth century), Palazzo Cattaneo (1700), oratory of San Rocco (late sixteenth century), church of San Rocco e Sebastiano (altar-1546) at San Foca.

Nature
The Magredi (gravel flatlands) of San Foca


MONTEREALE VALCELLINA AND UPPER VALCELLINA
Places to visit: Parish church (1787-1812), church of San Rocco (sixteenth century, with frescoes by Calderari), oratory of San Floriano (with seventeenth century altarpiece), districts of characteristic houses at Andreis and Barcis, Palazzo Centi (seventeenth century) at Barcis, Museum of the Local House at Claut, church of Santa Maria Maggiore (seventeenth century with wooden altars) at Cimolais.

Nature
Parco delle Dolomiti Friulane nature park (tel. +39 0427 87333-park office at Cimolais)
Lake at Barcis
Forra e Grotte del Cellina ravine and caves south of Barcis
Casera Rupeit (Pala d'Altei mountain dair y)
Casera di Giais (Monte Castellat mountain dairy).

Craft products
Objects and sculptures in wood

Horse riding
Azienda Agrituristica Al Dalt-stables-Andreis

Festivals and events
Walk along the old Stretta del Cellina road, Barcis (first weekend in June)
Art and food fair at Claut (second weekend in June)
Mountain festival at Montereale (July, August)
"Paesi Aperti" tastings of local cuisine at Andreis and Frisanco (end of August)


MANIAGO AND VAL TRAMONTINA
Maniago is an ancient town renowned for its cutlery works. Iron has been forged here since the fifteenth century.
Places to visit: Cathedral (Gothic church-1488) with 1625 altarpiece by Tommaso Vecellio, church of Immacolata Concezione (1780), church of San Carlo Borromeo (1637) with wooden altar, Piazza Italia with Palazzo d'Attimis Maniago, Loggia Pubblica and the fountain that is the town’s emblem. Remains of castle (eleventh century) with chapel of San Giacomo (thirteenth century), Battiferro mill in Via dei Fabbri. Sanctuary-monastery of Madonna di Strada at Fanna. Palazzo Polcenigo-Fanna-Ardito (1500) at Cavasso Nuovo. Palazzo Colossis (1600) at Meduno.

Nature
Val Tramontina and the lakes of Redona, Cà Zul and Cà Selva
Meduna riverbed at Sottoriva
Val Colvera
Monte Jouf, excursions to the many mountain diaries

Artigianato
Lavorazione del ferro (coltelli, armi, oggetti in ferro battuto), lavorazione del legno (mobili, oggetti d'arredo, giocattoli, utensili), lavorazione del rame, del bronzo e della pietra, calzature in panno e in legno.

Craft products
Ironwork (knives, weapons, wrought iron), woodwork (furniture, furnishings and ornaments, toys, utensils), copper, bronze and stone, cloth and wooden footwear.

Festivals and events
Festa della Pitina fair at Tramonti di Sopra (last weekend in July)
Festa della Montagna fair at Tramonti di Sopra (July and August)
Festa della Trota e del Formaggio Salato trout and salt cheese fair at Tramonti di Sotto (15 August)
Festa della Madonna at Meduno (last Sunday in September)


SEQUALS - VAL COSA AND VAL D'ARZINO
Places to visit: Parish church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo (eighteenth century), church of San Nicolò (Baroque), Villa Savorgnan (sixteenth century) and church of Santa Maria Assunta (with sixteenth century frescoes) at Lestans, church of San Pietro (mediaeval in origin with frescoes by Pordenone) at Travesio, parish church of San Martino (fifteenth century) at Pinzano al Tagliamento, two sixteenth century churches at Valeriano: the parish church (1506-with frescoes by Pordenone) and the church of the Battuti (1524-with Nativity by Pordenone), parish church of San Martino (1503-with wooden altars) at Vito d'Asio, castle of Pielungo (neo-Gothic) at Vito d'Asio

Wineries
Bulfon (Valeriano)

Nature
Hills at Sequals-Lestans-Solimbergo
Banks of Cosa torrential river
Tagliamento Park
Woodland at Leveriano
Ravine at Pradis with Grotta Verde cave at Clauzetto
Park with sulphur springs and Grotte delle Aganis caves at Anduins

Craft products
Mosaics, artistic fabrics, carved wood, small bronze objects, embossed copper

Horse riding
Circolo Ippico Val d'Arzino-Vito d'Asio

Festivals and events
Frog fair at Travesio (Easter)
Celebrations in honour of San Zenone (Saint Zeno) at Lestans (May)
Trout and cheese Montasio fair at Travesio (last Sunday in June)
Art and Flowers Festival at Sequals (June)
"Fieste de la Balote" fair of local polenta and cheese dish at Clauzetto (mid August)


SPILIMBERGO
The capital of decorative mosaics, whose mosaic tradition has origins in the ancient world and Byzantium, Spilimbergo has an almost intact mediaeval district.
Places to visit: Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore (the most important Gothic building in Friuli, 1284-1359), church of Santa Cecilia (1271), castle (comprising buildings from various periods, including the Palazzo Dipinto with its frescoed façade and Palazzo Todea, decorated with sixteenth century stuccoes), church of Santi Pantaleone e Giuseppe (1326-with wooden choir from 1427), church of San Giovanni Battista (1346), Casa Dipinta (sixteenth century), Torre Orientale (1304), Palazzo Monaco (sixteenth century), Palazzo della Loggia (fourteenth century), Santuario dell'Ancona (with fourteenth century frescoes), Mosaic School (1922: tel. +39 0427 2077), churches with sixteenth century frescoes at Vacile, Barbeano, Tauriano and Baseglia.

Nature
The Magredi, or gravel flatlands, between the Cosa and Meduna torrential rivers
Banks of the Tagliamento

Craft products
Mosaics, wrought iron, copper

Horse riding
Ranch Club-riding school-tel. +39 0427 50361-Istrago.
Trekking Club Cellina-Meduna - pony trekking (tel. +39 0427 97037 Da Gelindo) Vivaro.

Festivals and events
Folkest folk festival (July)
The Mancia days, historic procession (15 August)
August in Spilimbergo with folklore, art exhibitions and other entertainments
Christmas events in Spilimbergo


SAN GIORGIO DELLA RICHINVELDA
In nearby Rauscedo is Europe’s largest vine shoot nursery.
Places to visit: Church of San Nicolò (fourteenth century), parish church (with altarpiece from 1595) and Villa Spilimbergo-Spanio at Domanins. Parish church (with fifteenth century works of art) at Provesano, extensive noble farming estate known as Castelcosa (1600-1800) at Cosa Agricultural and Craft Museum at Pozzo. Villa Sabbadini-Truant-Hind (with wall paintings from 1872) at Provesano

Wineries
I Magredi (Domanins)
Pitars (San Martino al Tagliamento)


Nature
Rupa di San Giorgio
Roggia dei Mulini canal
Roggia di Domanins canal


VALVASONE
An ancient and very lovely town where the old quarter is laid out as it was in the Middle Ages. Valvasone was built as a fortified garrison near a broad stretch of the Tagliamento where the river can be forded.
Places to visit: Mediaeval castle with moat and walls, flanked by Torre Porta and the Palazzo of Conte Eugenio, ancient quarter with porticoed houses and frescoed palazzos (fifteenth century), parish church of Santissimo Corpo di Cristo (neo-Gothic) with sixteenth century Venetian organ and works by Pordenone and Amalteo, church of San Pietro (with two wooden altars from the seventeenth century), Casa Fortuni (Renaissance period) with fourteenth century well. Parish church (1867) with sixteenth century fresco by Pordenone and altarpiece at San Martino al Tagliamento.

Nature
Banks of Tagliamento
Magredi gravel beds of Meduna

Festivals and events
Mediaeval festival at Valvasone (second, third and fourth weekends in September)