In the year 50 BC, Romans founded a town, named Forum Julii (The market of Julius) after Julius Caesar, Rome's ruler. After the decline of the Roman Empire the town was conquered by Charlemagne and became part of the Frankish Empire. The city of Forum Julii became Civitas Austriae (Eastern City). The former name now refers to the whole land ruled from this town, under the modern form of Friuli. The town itself was given the name Cividale del Friuli. Friuli is situated between the Alps to the north and the Adriatic Sea to the south. Most of the area is flat and planar including a strip of the coast. Friuli has warm summers and mild winters. It is part of Southern European Italy but considered by its inhabitants as part of Central Europe. The regional capital is Trieste. Friuli offers the widest choice of natural environments, some of which are not well known and still uncontaminated. The geographical positioning of Friuli, gently lying between the Alpi Carniche and the Adriatic Sea, offers all the possible environmental nuances, going from the snow-covered mountains, to the lush green valleys at the foot of the mountains, to the fertile hilly areas, down to the tidily cultivated and flourishing plains to finally reach the fine sandy and golden beaches, which are the cleanest beaches looking onto the high Adriatic sea. Tourist attractions include Lignano Sabbiadoro, Carnia area.
When you walk through the streets of Trieste,visit the borough called Borgo Teresiano with its austere and stern style which will recall Vienna to your mind, stop and breathe the Mittel-European atmosphere of its cafés, walk along the same streets where James Joyce or Italo Svevo used to walk. Trieste is art and culture of Europe.
Lignano offers tourists a concentrated mix of services, attractions and accommodation while keeping in close contact with its surrounding nature thanks to its recent history as seaside resort: a long beach with very fine sand, six amusement parks dedicated to all age groups, sports structures of recent construction, pedestrian areas for shopping, hotels, villages and apartments to cater for all needs and demands. And of course there are plenty of discos, pubs and wine bars looking onto the sea, the acquagym coursesthe spas and the entertainment services for children; and to continue the list, the arena for the summer concerts, a Golf Club with 18 holes, bicycle routes, horse riding schools, tennis courts and over 5,000 berths in 8 modern and fully equipped wharfs. All this in a few kilometres which are traffic free and immersed in the greenery of the surroundings. Located mid-way between Venice and Trieste, Lignano rises on a peninsula overlooking the peaceful Adriatic Sea, at a stone’s throw from the nature reserves in the Valle Canal Novo e the Stella River Estuaries, and it has boasted the “Blue Flag of Europe” for over 20 years , symbol of the cleanliness of its beaches and its sea. Lignano is a symbol of modernity and entertainment, a large green area with a restricted urban settlement, a real and proper gravitational centre for the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Carnia, not only a wonderful environmental treasure, is also a true gastronomic jewel. Amongst Carnia’s mountains and valleys, as well as in the woods and fields, small forest fruits grow, innumerable types of mushrooms and hundreds of aromatic herbs either naturally or cultivated can be found, these herbs represent the main ingredient characterising Carnia’s cuisine and have been part of the gastronomic heritage of this area for centuries, together with beans and runner beans, used in all traditional dishes. .
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Otherwise, you can discover the fascinating Venetian style Udine, the beauty of its squares, of the Loggia del Lionello, of its Clock Tower. Let the frescoes by Gianbattista Tiepolo enchant you as you walk around the Palazzo Arcivescovile (the Archbishop’s Palace) and admire the roof-tops of Udine from the belvedere of its Castle; from this observation point, one glance will embrace the whole of Friuli right up to its mountain peaks.