This ebook describes the main features of Friuli-Venezia Giulia: landscape, economy, tourism, cities and cousine  

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a land of wonders

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If you want to enjoy local specialities, you will be able to choose among a series of typical dishes and products. For example, cjarsons which consist of stuffed pasta made from potatoes, similar to gnocchi, while the filling is variable (wild herbs, ricotta, raisins, etc). Their peculiarity is their flavor, characterized by the contrast between sweet and salty. Another traditional dish is frico which is made by cutting cheese and potatoes into strips and then frying them, until it becomes crisp yet malleable.

Jota is made with a combination of beans, olive oil, potatoes, sauerkraut, flour, pancetta, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and peppe Gubana is a spiral-shaped yeast cake filled with dried fruits and nuts, whose origin dates back to 1409, when it was prepared in honor of the Pope visiting Cividale del Friuli.&nbsp;&nbsp; Finally, well-known products are San Daniele ham and Montasio cheese.

Described by Ippolito Nievo as "a small compendium of the universe", Friuli Venezia Giulia&nbsp;offers a great variety of landscapes mixed to a rich and varied cultural heritage, due to a complex history and the presence of different populations. It is an autonomous region with special statute, situated in the north-east of Italy.

It borders Austria to the north, Slovenia to the east, Veneto to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the south.&nbsp; In Friuli Venezia Giulia, four languages are officially recognized: Italian, Slovenian, Friulian and German.

In Friuli-Venezia Giulia agriculture production is concentrated in the lower plains and hills. Fruit, cereals and sugar beet are grown. Vine growing is widespread in the hills and high quality wines such as Tocai or Pinot are produced. Of particular importance is the livestock breeding (especially cattle and pigs).

Industry mainly consists of production of household appliances (Pordenone) and shipyards (Monfalcone) . Some industrial areas are specialized in the production of furniture and knives (province of Pordenone), of chairs and machine tools (Udine).

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a very popular destination thanks to its excellent winter sports resorts like Piancavallo, Tarvis, Forni di Sopra which offer a lot of ski slope against the backdrop of wonderful mountains. The Carnic and Julian Alps as well as the Dolomites are ideal for&nbsp;hikers, mountaineers, cyclists and riders.

In addition, the best-known and most-frequented seaside resorts are Lignano Sabbiadoro and Grado which with their sandy beaches enable tourists to go bathing, surfing and sailing or just unrest. Finally, we can also find places of historical and artistic interest such as Trieste, Aquileia, Palmanova and Cividale del Friuli.

Two lakes that worth a visit! Cavazzo Lake is the largest of the Friulian natural lakes and its waters touch the municipalities of Cavazzo, Bordano and Trasaghis. Here you can practise activities such as fishing, canoeing , windsurfing, renting pedal boats, having a swim or walking around their perimeter.

Fusine Lakes are a complex of two lakes&nbsp;of glacial origin, Lake Superiore and Lake Inferiore, very close to the borders of&nbsp;Austria&nbsp;and&nbsp;Slovenia and easily reachable by foot or by car. You can see reflected in the water the surrounding mountains, called Mangart Mountain.

Founded by Julius Caesar, Cividade del Friuli became the capital of the first Lombard duchy in Italy. Thanks to this recognition and to the presence of evidence of the Lombard domination in Italy in 2011 Cividale del Friuli became a UNESCO site. Walking through the historic village you can admire the Cathedral, the Christian Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Lombard Temple, a unique religious building with some evocative frescoes.

Symbol of the city is the Devil’s Bridge which is named after a popular legend in which people of Cividale, not finding a way to build a solid stone bridge connecting the two banks of the Natisone, made a pact with the Devil. The Devil agreed to build the bridge in exchange for the first soul to cross it. They accepted the conditions of the Devil who built the bridge in one night. The following day, however, the townspeople deceived the Devil by sending across a cat instead of a human.

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Friuli-Venezia Giulia: a land of wonders"

From the north to the south the region is subdivided into three main areas: - the Carnia&nbsp;which includes the&nbsp;Carnic Alps, (whose highest peak is Mount Coglians&nbsp;2,780&nbsp;m), the Julian Alps and the PreAlps. - the Friulian plain which covers almost half of the region's area - the Adriatic coast which consists of sandy beaches, magical lagoons and rocky cliffs.

The Karst Plateau, now almost entirely located in Slovenia, is characterized by limestone rocks eroded by rain and rich in caves (such as the Giant's Cave) and underground tunnels in which various rivers flow, such as Il Timavo.

Three rivers that you cannot miss!

The&nbsp;Tagliamento river is an extraordinarily beautiful river which flows from the Carnic Alps to the Adriatic Sea. It is characterized by a very wide bed, where numerous water channels flow intertwining and produce a breathtaking view. The&nbsp;Timavo&nbsp;is an underground river that flows for 40&nbsp;km from&nbsp;Slovenia&nbsp;and then re-emerges&nbsp;in Italia near Trieste.

Thanks to its distinct emerald green colour, the Isonzo river is considered to be&nbsp;one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. It flows from Slovenia into Italy. Here it is possibile to practice&nbsp;activities such as canyoning,&nbsp;kayaking, rafting or fishing.

Founded near the&nbsp;Natisa river, Aquileia was an important city of the Roman Empire. It was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998 thanks to the sheer size of its archeological area which includes the Roman forum where all the trade and administrative activities took place, the Mausoleum, the burial ground, the markets and the churches and much more.

During your visit in Aquileia don't miss out the&nbsp;Basilica of Aquileia, whose bell tower, built as a lookout tower with its 73 metres offers a spectacular view over the Alps and over the lagoon of Grado. Do not forget the Roman mosaic floor found underneath the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta which tells a variety of early Christian tales, in a clear and ‘easy to understand’ way.

Palmanova is a fortress-city, build by the Republic of Venice in order to counter the expansionist aims of the Habsburgs of Austria and the raids of the Turks. Declared as National Monument in 1960, it became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2017.&nbsp; Characterized by a perfect nine-pointed star shape, entrance gates and the three circles of fortifications, it is at an example of Renaissance city as well as of military architecture.

Piazza Grande is the main square of Palmanova, the hub of city life. It was called Piazza d'Armi because the garrisons gathered there for military exercises . The most important historic Venetian buildings overlook this square are the Doge's Cathedral with its baroque, the Palace of the Provveditore Generale which today houses the Town Hall, the Loggia della Gran Guardia and the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà.

Surrounded by the Carsic hills and the Adriatic Sea, Trieste is the capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Known as "little Vienna on the sea", it is the most international city in the region. It is also famous for coffee and its literary cafes: these historic bars in the past were attended by writers such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba.

Don't miss out the main square Piazza Unità d'Italia, which represents the largest square overlooking the sea in Europe, the Miramare Castle from which you can enjoy the view over the Gulf of Trieste and The San Giusto Cathedral whose current aspect comes from the union of two churches which dated back respectively to the ninth and twelfth centuries.

San Giusto Cathedral