Hotels in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

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Friuli Venezia Giulia

Perhaps given that Friuli Venezia acts as Italy’s northeastern outpost squeezed in between Veneto and Trentine Alto Adige, it is sometimes overlooked in the rush to see this beautiful country’s most famous sights and regions.

It’s proximity to Austria and Slovenia, for example, has also had a strong impact, with many of its towns still bearing signs of Austrian and Slavic influence in its lifestyle, folklore and cuisine.

Yet to miss Fruili-Venezia Giulia would be a real pity, for this narrow stretch of land is endowed with much to see and do. Beaches, snow capped mountains rock cliffs, lagoons, grottos, castles, Roman ruins and interesting geological formations all combine to make this an underrated, yet multi-layered region.

History The land may be as old as time itself but the actual region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia was not created until 1963. Before receiving its official title, however, much water has passed under the bridge of this region.

Given its strategic position, it was an important post for the Ancient Romans, keeping a lookout for the raiding Gauls. As the Roman Empire declined so did its progress, its efforts in keeping out barbaric invasions, taking a toll in terms of disease and development.

By the 18th Century it had come under the control of Hapsburgs and with it there was an upturn in its fortunes. Trieste and Fiume were promoted as the gateways of Austrian empire to the sea.

Eventually, again, they lost strategic importance, and it started to find substitute methods of development by building up its industrial base, which metallurgy, mechanics, food, wood and furniture. There is also a tourist industry based in the seaside areas of Lignano and Grado.

Culture The ancient Romans left many remarkable traces, mainly at Aquileia, which is a rich and famous archaeological centre.

In Grado and Cividale, there are important paleochristian architectonic examples of Byzantine style. The Basilica of Aquileia, which is in the Romanesque Gothic style, houses splendid mosaics.

In Trieste visit the Revoltella Civic Museum, which holds an important collection of sculptural and pictorial works, from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the Civic Museum of the Sea, which shows the history of navigation from its origins to the end of last century, with models, instruments and projects.

The Civic Museum of Risorgimento is an interesting review of Trieste’s struggle for freedom; the Civic Museum of Art History holds a remarkable collection of archaeological relics.

Gorizia, boasts a fortified castle which includes the Museum of History and Art housing interesting collections of objects and customs of the civic history: the Provincial Museum offers a review of local artists between the eighteenth and the twentieth centuries; moreover, there is the Museum devoted to World War I.

In Udine, the Civic Museum and the Galleries of History and Art hold remarkable collections of archaeology, sculpture, painting, ceramics, coins and jewellery. In the Civic Museum of Pordenone precious wooden sculptures of the Friuli school can be admired.

Activities Don’t miss visiting the Carso area (near Trieste), where you can find the Gian Grotto. The coast takes in the Duino and the Sistiana bay, whilst the Miramare Castle, built during the nineteenth century by Maximilian of Austria, looms over the Adriatic Sea.

Hotels in Friuli Venezia Giulia

• Golf Hotel Castello Formentini

Hotels by City in Friuli Venezia Giulia

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