Pordenone, Western Friuli, and Friulian Dolomites

<< Friuli Venezia Giulia

The Province of Pordenone occupies the western part of the historic region of Friuli. While the south is a wide plain with the provincial capital at the center, the north is very mountainous. Here are the Friulian Dolomites, dotted with small villages and several natural landmarks.

Pordenone

Pordenone is a quiet town and the most important city in Western Friuli. Founded as a small port on the Noncello river, the town really developed in the Middle Ages, as the trade routes in the area became more busy. Pordenone was ruled by Austria until the 16th century, when it was taken by Venice. The history of Pordenone from here mirrors that of the rest of Friuli, as it was ruled by Venice, and then occupied by France and Austria before joining Italy in 1866. Pordenone then developed as an industrial city, and finally became the capital of its own province in 1968, separating from the Province of Udine.

✪ Corso Vittorio Emanuele II

Once known as Contrada Maggiore, Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the main street of Pordenone. It features a long series of beautiful porticoes on both sides, with historic palaces hosting numerous bars, restaurants, and stores, ending with Palazzo Comunale.

Civic Art Museum of Pordenone

The Civic Art Museum of Pordenone (Museo Civico d’Arte di Pordenone) is located in a historic palace on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, near Palazzo Comunale. It hosts a collection of local art including various paintings, drawings, and sculptures spanning several centuries.

Palazzo Comunale

The historic town hall of Pordenone is a Gothic palace built between the 13th and 14th century and located right at the end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. It features a loggia and a clock tower, and it is one of the most emblematic symbols of the city.

Pordenone Cathedral

The Pordenone Cathedral (Duomo di Pordenone) is located next to Palazzo Comunale and it’s the main church in the city. It was built starting in the 13th century but it has been reworked various times and the facade remained unfinished. Inside, it hosts a few interesting historic artworks, while right next to the cathedral is a tall medieval bell tower.

Barcis

Barcis is a tiny hamlet among the mountains of the Province of Pordenone. It is best known for its beautiful artificial lake that attracts many tourists.

Forra del Cellina

The Forra del Cellina is a canyon formed by the Cellina stream that cuts through the mountains of Friuli. The beautiful canyon runs between Lake Ravedis and Lake Barcis, both of which are artificial lakes formed by dams.

Erto e Casso

The municipality of Erto e Casso is composed of two tiny hamlets located among the mountains near the border between Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto. It is sadly known for the dam disaster of 1963.

✪ Vajont Dam

The Vajont Dam (Diga del Vajont) is one of the tallest dams in the world, built in the 1950s among the mountains of Friuli. In 1963 a huge landslide in the nearby lake causing a tsunami that went over the dam, flooding Erto e Casso and destroying the town of Longarone and other villages located in the valley below, in Veneto. Now the dam is disused and it serves as a museum and memorial of the 2,000 victims of the disaster.

Cimolais

Cimolais is a small mountain village in the Alps of Friuli, located along the Cellina stream. It is a tourist destination due to its located among the gorgeous environment of the Friulian Dolomites.

Campanile di Val Montanaia

The Campanile di Val Montanaia is a peculiar rock formation located in the Friulian Dolomites north of Cimolais. Formed by a long process of erosion, it sticks out like a tower in the middle of a valley, and it is a popular destination for hiking and climbing.