Magredi: the great steppe

After visiting the historic core of Valvasone with its medieval appearance consisting of charming alleys and ancient mansions equipped with porticoes (of significance are the Castle of the Wolf and the Cathedral of the Most Holy Body of Christ, which preserves an important 16th-century Venetian organ), we drive to the municipality of Vivaro, which is about 14 kilometers away.

We are in the upper Friulian plain, in the Magredi area (terra magra, i.e., dry land poor in water due to the presence of boulders), incised by two major river courses: the Meduna and the Cellina. It is a site of community interest (Sic) belonging to the natura 2000 network.

Itinerary

Of particular interest, in addition to bike tours, are educational trails and workshops suitable for children and adults led by not only local experts, but also programs with classic group hikes through the three environments of the Magredi (info Pro Loco Vivaro at City Hall 0427-97015).

For those who intend to move independently, we recommend the ‘Pierditi intal Patus’ trails (the title of a map inviting everyone to get lost in the beauty of the stable meadows). A way to observe up close and in silence the colors of a unique and wild nature, such as the plant ‘Crambe tataria’ known as Tatar grass, unique in Italy.

Three prairie trails. The first (1a-1b) short 1 km with entrance on Vivaro- San Foca road aimed mainly at children. Routes 2 and 3 of 4/6 km (beginning hike boards installed under the Cellina bridge) cross the three environments of the magredo (gravel, primitive and evolved magredo), until they reach the exit of the ‘Pierditi intal Patus’ marker, on the road to Vivaro.

At the end to enjoy in relaxation an authentic peasant snack in Vivaro there is the Benandanti (good walkers) refuge, inside the farm run by the Gelindo dei Magredi with educational farm: stable, organic vegetable garden, peasant museum, farm store and much more (info 0427 97037).

The Ways of the Abbey (cycling in a natural landscape ) – Cordovado

A place of enchantment, surprising travelers and pilgrims by its extraordinary beauty, hidden in the quietness of the Friulian plain. An abbey village Sesto al Reghena, among the most beautiful in Italy. The place name Sesto derives from the fact that in Roman times the settlement was located near the sixth milestone on the road from Julia Concordia to Noricum. Circularly Castle Square holds ancient and prestigious buildings: Santa Maria in Silvis (so called because it lies in an extensive forest), founded by the Lombards and later donated to the Patriarchate of Friuli until the domination of the Serenissima; the Bell Tower with its Renaissance arch next to it. As well as the Town Hall, former residence of the abbots, the Chancery Palace, seat of civil power and the prison. Other wonders await just outside the entrance tower to the basilica: an Italian garden with 50 varieties of roses, Villa Fabris Zanardini, and the Prati Burovich nature trail.

Family-friendly thematic bicycle routes have also been created, with the branded The Ways of the Abbey (www.viedellabbazia-sesto.it), to discover the treasures reposed in the lands of the abbots: from lakes to mills, from country churches to Venetian residences, to the places of the heart narrated by Ippolito Nievo and Pasolini. Maps with itineraries, summarized here, are available at the Infopoint in Castle Square, which also offers a ‘Sesto by bike’ bike rental service (reservations at 0434.699701 – infopoint.sesto@gmail.com; www.prosesto.org/noleggiobici.html).

 

Itinerary

The Abbey Ways: villages, mills, ancient votive churches and Venetian villas. Leaving Castle Square, one crosses the Reghena River, walking through the village to the edge of the old town. We enter the Friulian countryside (marked by the Romea Strata), along Verdi and XXX Aprile streets: we are in the Melmose, an area rich in waterways, cultivated fields and a riding school. We soon arrive at the village of Savorgnano, where signs lead us to visit the small church of Santa Petronilla. Back in Savorgnano, follow the bike path to Vissignano, then take San Rocco Street with the small church of the same name and the Molini Variola. Climbing to the left via Viali we come to Ramuscello. In the center of the village we follow via Risorgimento and then via Casali, which shows us the beautiful Villa Freschi. From here we take the way back following the signs for Piramidi, Monte Santo, Casette, and Siega streets with its charming village, until we reach the center of Bagnarola. The signs take us within a few kilometers to the locality of Versiola, and from here we reach via Trieste, which takes us back to the Abbaziale village.

The Ways of the Abbey (along rivers and mills) – Cordovado

A place of enchantment, surprising travelers and pilgrims by its extraordinary beauty, hidden in the quietness of the Friulian plain. An abbey village Sesto al Reghena, among the most beautiful in Italy. The place name Sesto derives from the fact that in Roman times the settlement was located near the sixth milestone on the road from Julia Concordia to Noricum. Circularly Castle Square holds ancient and prestigious buildings: Santa Maria in Silvis (so called because it lies in an extensive forest), founded by the Lombards and later donated to the Patriarchate of Friuli until the domination of the Serenissima; the Bell Tower with its Renaissance arch next to it. As well as the Town Hall, former residence of the abbots, the Chancery Palace, seat of civil power and the prison. Other wonders await just outside the entrance tower to the basilica: an Italian garden with 50 varieties of roses, Villa Fabris Zanardini, and the Prati Burovich nature trail.

Family-friendly thematic bicycle routes have also been created, with the branded The Ways of the Abbey (www.viedellabbazia-sesto.it), to discover the treasures reposed in the lands of the abbots: from lakes to mills, from country churches to Venetian residences, to the places of the heart narrated by Ippolito Nievo and Pasolini. Maps with itineraries, summarized here, are available at the Infopoint in Castle Square, which also offers a ‘Sesto by bike’ bike rental service (reservations at 0434.699701 – infopoint.sesto@gmail.com; www.prosesto.org/noleggiobici.html).

 

Itinerary

The Ways of the Abbey: between history, art and nature. Leaving the basilica, we take Via Roma and, through the narrow Calle San Gallo, we are inside the Burovich meadows, a spectacle of nature in terms of colors and scents, and shortly thereafter at Premarine Lake. Resuming the bicycle path (to the right with your back to the lake), ride along the Reghena until you reach Mure. After passing the small church of St. Mark and then the church of St. Joseph, continue along Piave Street. Shortly afterwards, the ancient Roman road begins to the right, skirting the small church of St. Peter, worshipped by the people of Sexten. Just a few more meters to get to the Molini di Stalis and, later, to the Venchiaredo Fountain-illustrative signs-from a road that crosses the river and runs over fields (we are along the Romea Strata faith path). A little more and you arrive in Cordovado near the Town Hall and the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin taken the regional road to the left, you turn, soon after, onto Casette Street. In view of Paker Lake, the road leads back to Venchiaredo Fountain and mills. From here we return to Sesto on the same route as the outward journey.

Toppo and Tamer Castle

A nature-historical hike in one of the most beautiful rural settings in Italy: Toppo (the name from the Friulian Tóp, a toponym that first appeared in 1186 with the meaning of “big landed tree trunk” but also to indicate the orography of the place, the hump where the village stands).

Unique features of Toppo and the continuity of the memory of the masi, family-run rural houses that formed the basis of agricultural organization in the Middle Ages. From one of these farms in the 16th century the Toppo Wasserman Palace developed at the foot of the Castle.

This is where our journey begins. It is worthwhile, in fact, to park the car near the San Lorenzo parish church and drive through the village to observe the stone facades (clap), with chiseled stone corner profiles, as well as the door and window frames.

Near Palazzo Toppo-Wasserman, the path (signpost) begins, which is on a cobbled road with dry stone side walls, which in a short time takes us to the Castle Hill, a rocky rise between the Meduna and Tagliamento rivers, at the foot of Mount Ciavoleìt, with a beautiful view of the Friulian plain, as well as the Carnic foothills and Friulian Dolomites.

Restored in 2012, the manor house is one of the most important examples of fortified architecture in 12th-14th century Friuli. The central core encloses the mighty watchtower and defense tower; next to it stood the dwelling of the lords of Toppo, while in the outer courtyard, protected by a second circle of walls, were the stables. On the southern slope is the chapel of St. Anthony Abbot with valuable frescoes. The castle, after various transformations, was used until the 15th century.

Continue uphill along the main trail marker to soon reach the Tamer cheese factory, erected on a small wooded shelf at an elevation of 574 meters near a spring and a well-canal.

A maintenance object, the structure, sheltered from the wind and surrounded by ash and maple trees, offers shelter and the comfort of a fireplace. For the more trained, it is possible to continue climbing moderately by climbing over Mount Davanti (m947) to finally descend to the little valley of the Davass cheese factory.

Instead, we retrace our steps and use an ancient, steadily sloping path once used by las loges, the sleds that were used to bring loads of wood coal and hay down the valley. Reaching a forest track, which was used for a stone quarry, we close the route by returning to the old village near the church.

The Ways of the Abbey (cycling in a natural landscape ) – Sesto al Reghena

A place of enchantment, surprising travelers and pilgrims by its extraordinary beauty, hidden in the quietness of the Friulian plain. An abbey village Sesto al Reghena, among the most beautiful in Italy. The place name Sesto derives from the fact that in Roman times the settlement was located near the sixth milestone on the road from Julia Concordia to Noricum. Circularly Castle Square holds ancient and prestigious buildings: Santa Maria in Silvis (so called because it lies in an extensive forest), founded by the Lombards and later donated to the Patriarchate of Friuli until the domination of the Serenissima; the Bell Tower with its Renaissance arch next to it. As well as the Town Hall, former residence of the abbots, the Chancery Palace, seat of civil power and the prison. Other wonders await just outside the entrance tower to the basilica: an Italian garden with 50 varieties of roses, Villa Fabris Zanardini, and the Prati Burovich nature trail.

Family-friendly thematic bicycle routes have also been created, with the branded The Ways of the Abbey (www.viedellabbazia-sesto.it), to discover the treasures reposed in the lands of the abbots: from lakes to mills, from country churches to Venetian residences, to the places of the heart narrated by Ippolito Nievo and Pasolini. Maps with itineraries, summarized here, are available at the Infopoint in Castle Square, which also offers a ‘Sesto by bike’ bike rental service (reservations at 0434.699701 – infopoint.sesto@gmail.com; www.prosesto.org/noleggiobici.html).

 

Itinerary

The Abbey Ways: villages, mills, ancient votive churches and Venetian villas. Leaving Castle Square, one crosses the Reghena River, walking through the village to the edge of the old town. We enter the Friulian countryside (marked by the Romea Strata), along Verdi and XXX Aprile streets: we are in the Melmose, an area rich in waterways, cultivated fields and a riding school. We soon arrive at the village of Savorgnano, where signs lead us to visit the small church of Santa Petronilla. Back in Savorgnano, follow the bike path to Vissignano, then take San Rocco Street with the small church of the same name and the Molini Variola. Climbing to the left via Viali we come to Ramuscello. In the center of the village we follow via Risorgimento and then via Casali, which shows us the beautiful Villa Freschi. From here we take the way back following the signs for Piramidi, Monte Santo, Casette, and Siega streets with its charming village, until we reach the center of Bagnarola. The signs take us within a few kilometers to the locality of Versiola, and from here we reach via Trieste, which takes us back to the Abbaziale village.

The Ways of the Abbey (along rivers and mills) – Sesto al Reghena

A place of enchantment, surprising travelers and pilgrims by its extraordinary beauty, hidden in the quietness of the Friulian plain. An abbey village Sesto al Reghena, among the most beautiful in Italy. The place name Sesto derives from the fact that in Roman times the settlement was located near the sixth milestone on the road from Julia Concordia to Noricum. Circularly Castle Square holds ancient and prestigious buildings: Santa Maria in Silvis (so called because it lies in an extensive forest), founded by the Lombards and later donated to the Patriarchate of Friuli until the domination of the Serenissima; the Bell Tower with its Renaissance arch next to it. As well as the Town Hall, former residence of the abbots, the Chancery Palace, seat of civil power and the prison. Other wonders await just outside the entrance tower to the basilica: an Italian garden with 50 varieties of roses, Villa Fabris Zanardini, and the Prati Burovich nature trail.

Family-friendly thematic bicycle routes have also been created, with the branded The Ways of the Abbey (www.viedellabbazia-sesto.it), to discover the treasures reposed in the lands of the abbots: from lakes to mills, from country churches to Venetian residences, to the places of the heart narrated by Ippolito Nievo and Pasolini. Maps with itineraries, summarized here, are available at the Infopoint in Castle Square, which also offers a ‘Sesto by bike’ bike rental service (reservations at 0434.699701 – infopoint.sesto@gmail.com; www.prosesto.org/noleggiobici.html).

 

Itinerary

The Ways of the Abbey: between history, art and nature. Leaving the basilica, we take Via Roma and, through the narrow Calle San Gallo, we are inside the Burovich meadows, a spectacle of nature in terms of colors and scents, and shortly thereafter at Premarine Lake. Resuming the bicycle path (to the right with your back to the lake), ride along the Reghena until you reach Mure. After passing the small church of St. Mark and then the church of St. Joseph, continue along Piave Street. Shortly afterwards, the ancient Roman road begins to the right, skirting the small church of St. Peter, worshipped by the people of Sexten. Just a few more meters to get to the Molini di Stalis and, later, to the Venchiaredo Fountain-illustrative signs-from a road that crosses the river and runs over fields (we are along the Romea Strata faith path). A little more and you arrive in Cordovado near the Town Hall and the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin taken the regional road to the left, you turn, soon after, onto Casette Street. In view of Paker Lake, the road leads back to Venchiaredo Fountain and mills. From here we return to Sesto on the same route as the outward journey.

Landris trail among cavities and spectacular underground phenomena

Landris are rock-cut caves that were formed by the rushing erosion of the Colvera stream and characteristic of the karst phenomenon very evident here. We are in the municipality of Frisanco, one of the thousand Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, which frames the Carnic Pre-Alps and where Mount Raut (Friulian for rhododendron), a bastion of rock and flowers, and Mount Jouf, which feed the waters of the Colvera River, rise.

Itinerary. From Maniago continue in the direction of Frisanco. At the exit of the second tunnel, turn left immediately and park your car (you can also start from Fornasatte locality, one kilometer after the tunnel, and proceed on foot through the hamlet and then by path that takes us to a footbridge crossing the Colvera stream). From this point on, the trail is on a forest track with round-trip in the same place. We are in the Colvera gorge of Jouf where we reach (in a few meters) the old Pignatte Bridge where we can observe the impressive and spectacular phenomena of river erosion and more: the valley still preserves traces, in the caves along the stream, of the first human settlements of prehistory.

The cartroad continues into the woods until we come to a clearing with the headwaters of a small tributary of the Colvera River and then make a loop that takes us under the arched walls of the
Landri Viert
(meaning of cavern, cave; viert stands for open, wide). The trail then climbs with a few switchbacks until we reach the upper level of the incision where we begin to descend to the initial clearing again. We retrace the route taken on the outward journey and, past the ruin, on the right we take the obvious track that leads, this time, to the
Landri Scur
(dark cave). Scouring the area one can observe other minor cavities (all surveyed and registered in the cadastre of natural cavities) and hypogeal phenomena that mark the uniqueness of this valley. A botanical trail dedicated to the memory of Adriano Bruna, a Maniago resident who died a year ago, was recently opened from the Pignatte Bridge to the Landris. A nature lover who in the 1990s was among the discoverers, along with Trieste botanist Livio Poldini, of Daphne blagayana, a species of orchid that grows only in the Tramontina Valley.

San Floriano Rural Park. A gene bank

For Friuli Venezia Giulia, it is a fine example of environmental redevelopment that stands as a unique existing rural park in the country (opened in 1980 and listed in the Europarc Federation organization; ownership, however, is in the hands of the Bazzi Foundation). The area, covering about 45 hectares on the profile between St. Florian’s Hill and Moors Hill, is marked by tracks, cart tracks and paths, which numerous cross orchards, forests, meadows, animal pens, pastures, as well as rest and refreshment areas.

Itinerary. In the park there are several ways to have a unique experience surrounded by nature: walking, biking, barefoot (a tactile path winds for 900 meters over plant and mineral surfaces that alternate with fun balancing games). The itinerary (three routes marked with a footprint symbol in the colors red, yellow e green) develops among meadows and forests to the knowledge of local flora and fauna, but above all it is a free educational trail where visitors walk on the cultivations of medicinal and aromatic plants to smell their odors. Controlled breeding of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, and farm animals is practiced here, and beekeeping is undertaken. Of interest, then, is the varietal field that makes it a genetic bank in the park with the intent of enhancing and preserving native varieties of local fruit plants (apple, plum, and pear) and where, for that matter, experimentation by farmers, students, and agronomic technicians is most developed. A visit to the beautiful and very old church of
San Floriano
which dominates the hillside. A building also built with material from Roman times with valuable frescoes from the 13th and 14th centuries (AD) inside. The management of the park is entrusted to the Social Cooperative Against the Wind (info 331.8913299) which, in the educational purposes of protecting and enhancing the area, in addition to coordinating the two guest quarters organizes musical events, educational activities for all ages, guided excursions for groups, and in-depth courses on agricultural and animal husbandry techniques.

In the beautiful ‘Troi del Gor’

A stream flowing towards Polcenigo, in a wild environment characterized by lush green wetland vegetation, with waterfalls, springs, small wooden bridges and bird songs, winding its way through the hills of St. Lucia that serve as the relief of Budoia and Polcenigo. It’s the wonderful Troi de Gor (Gor Trail), for water and forest lovers, covered with an intricate vegetation of beech trees and patches of butcher’s broom, with ferns and mosses, as well as a wealth of specialized wildlife, making it a fairy tale.

Itinerary. From Polcenigo, go up toward the Gorgazzo spring and past the Old Village of medieval origin(borc) take to the right (large illustrative sign), a small white road where the stream soon flows over boulders. We climb up the hill along a wide cart track until we soon reach the top of the Colle delle Razze marked by an old ruin. We continue toward Col Pizzoc on a well-marked path until it turns into a dirt road. A signposted detour (via della Liberazione) allows us to visit the very ancient church of Santa Lucia al Colle, which dates back to the 14th century (we are touching stretches of the San Cristoforo, Sant’Antonio and Camminaboschi paths, the latter being itineraries chosen and drawn up by the regional Forestry Corps with a view to modern ‘silvotherapy’).

You walk on the main trail until you hit a water purifier where you need to make a U-turn to avoid ending up in Budoia where, however, there is another entrance to the trail. Now we enter the surprising Troi de Gor trail, which follows the stream that flows toward Polcenigo. A wide, gently but steadily descending track takes us back again to the exit of the ancient Borgo. In climbing the hills you need to have some sense of direction, otherwise the best solution is to walk directly along the Troi de Gor and then do it again in reverse (the beautiful trail always starts after the Antico Borgo, turning left before the creek over some boulders, or a little further north where Strada Cavalli runs out). It is also possible to walk it from Budoia, starting from the parking lot on Cialata Street on the southern outskirts of Budoia. Go up the road for about a hundred meters, and on the left (sign) is the trail that goes into the small valley of Rui de Gor.