Italy’s most enchanting villages Friuli Venezia Giulia beauty right outside your door! Villagesof sheer beauty Clauiano, Cordovado, Fagagna, Gradisca d’Isonzo, Poffabro and Valvasone are the most enchanting villages of Italy in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is an honour as well as a commitment to be part of this club set up in 2001 upon a recommendation of the Tourism Committee of the National Association of Italian Municipalities. It is an honour since the value of small provincial centres is recognised in terms of history, culture, environment and traditions. It is a commit- ment because villages cannot be part of it forever: villages must show to be worthy of it over time by undertaking actions aimed at maintaining and increasing the quality of life and of the urban fabric. Being part of the “most enchanting villages of Italy” means complying with such requirements as the architectural harmony of the village and the qual- ity of the public and private building heritage, and other general liveability features regarding the activities and services offered to the villagers. Whilst Friuli Venezia Giulia has a range of other towns and villages packed with artistic, historic, landscape and cultural attractions, the Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages Committee chose these nine towns as enjoyable des- tinations for both tourists and those living in the region for their abso- lutely unique character. Clauiano because it has managed to preserve a straightforward rural feel, Cordovado for its balance between nature and architecture, Fagagna because it has safeguarded its welcoming atmos- phere, Gradisca d’Isonzo for a Baroque backdrop which is respectful of its history, Poffabro for its one-of-a-kind spontaneous architecture, Polcenigo replete with natural beauties and source of authentic experiences, Sesto al Reghena sheltered by the Abbey of St Mary, Toppo where archaeology and art exhibitions merge with nature and gliding, Valvasone because it has preserved its medieval plan and art treasures. This is, then, an invitation to experience village life and promote its phi- losophy. 2 Clauiano (Comune di Trivignano Udinese) piéris e clàps, rurality of rocks and stones Cordovado in the stillness of the Friulian countryside Fagagna the village of the storks Gradisca d’Isonzo a Baroque village on the border Poffabro (Comune di Frisanco) the magic of stone and wood Polcenigo cool waters and slow rhythms Sesto al Reghena in the land of the abbots Toppo (Comune di Travesio) in flight over feudal lands Valvasone (Comune di Valvasone Arzene) a small ancient world 3 ClauianoClauiano h my, the Turks are coming!” That piercing cry that united many “OFriulian villages that were set on fire in 1477, surely echoed in Clauiano as well, razed to the ground by the Saracen hordes. Then came the reconstruction. Rewarding. The new urban structure, in fact, eliminated every solution that turned out to be weak or risky during the Ottoman raid and the various barbarian invasions which besetted the area throughout the Middle Ages up to the 15th century. A charming village of piéris and clàps (rocks and stones) slowly materialized. The buildings were made of masonry and had tiled roofs, and were built close to each other as if to form proper defensive walls, erected around two churches, St. George to the south and St. Martin to the north. The village grew bigger and even- tually resumed the active life that had once made it a reference centre. Casa Osso, fresco of St Martin, recent work by Gianni Di Lena, and inscription. This refers to the confraternity of shoemakers of Udine that in the 17th century owned not only Casa Osso but also several plots of land and shops in Clauiano as shown also by the inscription of Casa Miani. By no coincidence, since the Middle Ages the church of St. George had hosted meetings to take decisions on internal affairs, but also on issues concerning the neighbouring villages. Casa Gardellini is one the first ma- sonry buildings to be erected; it features an L-shaped structure that leans against other 15th-century structures being part of Casa Beltramini with its typical, well-protected internal courtyard, and Casa Tonutti Campag- nolo which preserved a 15th-century fresco depicting the Virgin and Child flanked by two Saints. In the 17th century, Clauiano underwent an important development phase 4 during which the two centres located north and south of the village ended up by merging and, in the following century, the village took its current shape. This period saw the construction of many parts of the enclosed court of Casa Colussi, Casa Dri and Casa Minin, Casa Palladini with its typical hearth, the “fogolâr”, featuring a large hood that extended to the two upper storeys and ended with an elegant Venetian-style chimney, and the three-storey building of the aristocratic family of della Porta with the attached gardener’s house, stable, prison and “foledôr”, a wine cellar usu- ally built near the main residential building. Villa Ariis dates back to the 18th century with its round-arched portal bearing a double lancet window with a stone balustrade above it and the adjoining, remarkable “foledôr”, Villa Manin with its pilasters and upper Rural church of St. Mark. The archaeological finds highlight a small construction as early as in the Roman period. The building dates to the 14th century, has frescoed walls, a stone conch, a masonry step acting as a bench around all the walls and a 16th century altar, heritage of the restorations carried out after the raid by the Turks. tympanum and Casa Zof Piano which features a depressed-arch stone portal which the village elders say that was originally a convent. Casa Barnaba Manin, Casa Calligaris Foffaniand Casa Bosco date back to the same period but have more ancient origins. Also the present church of St. George the Martyr, located on the village high street, which chose a sober Baroque style, maintained for both the inside and the outside, dates back to the first half of the 18th century. The building, whose history is quite ancient perhaps as old as the Longobard period, keeps a 15th-century bap- tismal font ascribed to Carlo da Corona, a painting by Osvaldo Gortanutti 5 Name The toponym “Clauiano”, unlike many others, can be immediately interpreted: it dates to the Roman period and refers to the name of the owner of a plot of land in the area cur- rently occupied by the village, called in fact Claudius or Clavilius, from Clavius. dating back to 1690 portraying the Adoration of the Magi and a 17th-centu- ry banner which was used for religious processions. Incidentally, also the other church, dedicated to St. Martin, around which Clauiano developed, was demolished in 1954. In the mid 19th-century Clauiano reached its maximum prosperity and im- portant families such as Manin, de Checo, Bassi, Bearzi and De Vit erected houses there with large farmworkers’ cottages. They were the ones who gave a boost to the village economy by building a spinning mill given the numerous white mulberry trees which provided a good food source for the silkworms. Nowadays the inhabitants of Clauiano show attention to their history by paving their roads using Piasentina stone or stones from the nearby Torre stream, replanting those mulberry trees which once abounded in the area and were excellent staple food until a few decades or so ago, enhancing the value of the area in front of the church of St. George, restoring the walls of the houses, the ancient frescos and the paintings, the sundials, the open galleries and the numerous arched house gateways. An example of the same care is the unearthing of the plan of the old pond of the square. The pond collected rainwater which was then used to water animals and wash clothes. Today the light-blue water has been replaced by green grass, maintaining the true rural flavour of the village. Origins Although the current structure of the village dates back to the late Middle Ages, its origin is certainly more ancient. The first dwellings clearly date back to Roman times, and the ruins found near the church of St. Mark are evidence of that. The first official quotation however appeared on a parchment dated 13 July 1031. On that day, Poppone, the Patriarch of Aquileia, inaugurated the reconstructed ba- silica and set up the Chapter to which it gifted, for the 6 maintenance, a wide territory including also Municipality “Cleuian”, the current Clauiano. of Trivignano Udinese Province of Curious facts Udine Clauiano allows for a unique, rural, architec- How to get there tural and historical route through its portals. By car: It boasts portals of all kind, dating back from A4 motorway, ‘Palmanova’ the late 15th century to the 18th century. They exit; A23 motorway, ‘Udine sud’ exit are round, architraved, lower arches or arches By train: in bricks, stone, wood or a mixture of these. Venezia-Trieste-Palmanova Keystones, with crests or simple ornaments, line, Cervignano and Palmanova train stations, are sometimes accompanied by capitals and Grado-Cervignano-Udine surmounted by windows and stone or wood- coach service. en banisters. Altitude 43 m a.s.l. Traditions Organised in 2006 for the first time, “Im- Distance in km Gorizia 30, Udine 20, maginare il tempo” (Imagining time) is an Aquileia 20, Palmanova 4 event that has already become a tradition. It celebrates the autumnal equinox with a Inhabitants 1,700 (village - approx. 500) weekend dedicated to art, culture and eno- gastronomic specialities, each year proposing Patron saint a new theme. Thanks to the event, the houses St. Mark, 25 April and palaces of the village remain open for the Tourist information public to visit.