Often built for defense and administration purposes, the
castles of Friuli have lost their original tasks over time, but have
maintained their fascination and have become material witnesses of the
culture and history of our land.
ADVISED PERIOD: all year round, but the best seasons are spring and autumn,
above all if you choose a bicycle as your means of transport.
TIMES: one whole day. For those who wish to ride their bicycles around the
place, the route is of average difficulty, on a hilly track, completely on
tarred roads. Given the length of the route, it is possible to short-cut the
ride by limiting the stopovers to your liking.
WHERE: the itinerary leaves from and arrives at the castle of Fontanabona
(hamlet of the Pagnacco Town District), easily accessible from the highway
exit gate in Udine nord (km 6).
Our tour across the hills of Friuli sets off from the
small rural borough of Fontanabona, whose name stems from
the water which springs out in the small central square.
The village of Fontanabona is towered over by a castle of Medieval origin, which was
rearranged in the late XVIII century, and by its wonderful garden, characterized by rare and centuries-old plants; among these it is the giant
Tuja with its hut-like branches, which stands out and is visible just in
front of the building which hosts the agricultural estate. The earliest
mention regarding the inhabited area dates back most likely to the X
century. The castle of Fontanabona has been property of the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia
since 1969, thanks to a donation.
Tricesimo
Taking the road that leads to Pagnacco again, we will now
head for Tricesimo.
The wall structure, placed on top of the hill from which your sight will
reach all round to the surrounding plains and hills, presents features which
are typical of the sixteenth century, even if the foundation of an early
inhabited area dates back to mid-1300.
This castle of Tricesimo has undergone a long series of ownerships, and this is an
evident sign of how this location was particularly sought after for its
great strategic importance.
Facing the medieval external walls, the main building features
late-renaissance characteristics; inside the fortified perimeter there is
also the gentiles’ chapel, with a crypt and sixteenth century frescoes.
Colloredo
Back on the main road, you will take the junction for the
nearby town of Cassacco and ride on to Colloredo, one of
the most famous (also because it was for some time the home of Ippolito
Nievo) and best preserved castles - until the 1976 earthquake - on the whole
territory of Friuli. Before the earthquake, the whole structure of the
Colloredo Castle, made up of
a series of buildings dating back to the Sixteenth century, rotated around
the superb and imposing clock tower, real and proper central axis of the
whole fortified “machine”; today the tower is a symbol of a slow, difficult
reconstruction but which is stubbornly deemed to be completed.
Besides the reconstruction of the tower, also the reconstruction of the west
wing of the Colloredo Castle has been completed, whereas all the east wing structures are still
lying in a state of ruin and unfortunately only a very small part of the
valuable stuccoes and frescoes by Giovanni da Udine, famous painter and
decorator and pupil of Raphael, have been recovered.
Rive d'Arcano
Once again on the main road, you will turn right in the
direction of San Daniele, and then you will follow directions for Fagagna. In
a continuous flow of woods and fields on the right you will see the castle
of Rive d'Arcano, a monumental structure which is one of
the most well preserved on the entire regional territory; on the top floors
the architectural and decorative stratification, of late –Romanic origins
has been kept intact, whereas the sprightly decorations and frescoes in the
dining-room are products which date back to the XVIII century.
It is worthwhile to recall that the wine-farm inside the borough usually
takes part in the event "Cantine Aperte" (Open Cellars), where it presents
its products in the suggestive framework of its landscape.
Fagagna
And now we will head for Fagagna, ancient
seat of a castle which is today only just a few ruins, from whose terraced
location you will in any case enjoy a spectacular panorama at 360 degrees
overlooking the plains ; from this really privileged point of observation
you will get a glance of o your next destination: the castle of Villalta. It was declared a national monument in 1976 and this
estate is undoubtedly one of the largest in the Region, as it includes not
only the main house, with sumptuous frescoed halls dating back to the
Sixteenth century, but also double external walls, a suggestive entrance
with a draw-bridge, two characteristic yards and a gentilitial chapel named
after Saint Michael.
The castle of Fagagna was founded in Roman times and the first document which mentions
it dates back to the Twelfth century; just like many other defensive
structures in Friuli, it underwent numerous expansions and modifications
between the Thirteenth and Sixteenth century, the age in which the Counts della Torre gave it its current structure and characteristic look.
Brazzacco
We will now take the uphill road again, leading towards
Moruzzo, and then turn right following the indications for Brazzacco, last
stop-over of our itinerary.
In ancient times there were two castles in Brazzacco: one called Lower
Castle, of which very little remains, and the other called Top Castle, where
you can still admire the fortifications with the guard’s building and the
ruins of the main tower, which may be dated back to the mid- Thirteenth
century.
By following the indications for Pagnacco, on the left you will find, after
a few kilometers, the cross-roads for Fontanabona, starting point and
arrival of our itinerary.
