Discover Friuli Venezia Giulia

When Fabio Capello was appointed as the new England football manager his biography was published on many newspapers and his place of birth was simply referred to as a small village in the north east of Italy. This small village is actually Pieris, near the city of Gorizia and the region is Friuli Venezia Giulia, an area still undiscovered for many British tourists.

The best know city is Trieste, linked with direct flights from London Stansted, but a whole intriguing region lies beyond Trieste ready to be explored.

Friuli Venezia Giulia borders Slovenia, Croatia and Austria and has always been a bridge between Eastern and Western Europe and it has constantly strived to achieve a balance between the Latin, Slavonic and German cultures. Friuli Venezia Giulia, by virtue of its strategic geographic position, was theatre of many civilizations: Roman, Lombard, Uns, French under Napoleon and it was one of the main protagonist of the Second World War and of the Cold War.

Near Pieris, Fabio Capello’s birth-place, lies Aquileia an ancient Roman metropolis, a veritable archaeological museum in the open air with its many architectural jewels such as the roman forum, the basilica, the river port and the mausoleum.

Pieris is situated half way between Trieste, the most important port during the Hapsburg Empire and Udine, rich in art and home of many works by the great Venetian School painter, GianBattista Tiepolo.

Pieris is also near Grado, a spa and seaside resort immersed in the natural beauty of a lagoon benefiting from a micro-climate that assures almost constant sunshine on the coast, it was the favourite summer resort of the Austro-Hungarian Emperors.

Not to be missed is the Collio region, a wine producing area of Friuli Venezia Giulia that produces some of the best whites in Italy, Tocai, Pinot and Sauvignon.

North of Pieris you can visit Gradisca d’Isonzo, one of the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy and Palmanova, a fortress-town in the shape of a star that only Napoleon managed to conquer.

Less than an hour by car from Pieris you can reach the Alps and the Dolomites with 5 ski resort of international fame: Forni di Sopra, Piancavallo, Ravascletto-Zoncolan, Sella Nevea and Tarvisio. These resorts can easily be reached with the complimentary “Skibus” that links Trieste’s airport to the most important ski resorts of the region. This free service is available until 29 February 2008.

Friuli Venezia Giulia is here to be discovered and savoured, a unique region home of unique people, quite different from any other in Italy.

For further information visit Italiantouristboard.co.uk.