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Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giuila

Overview

The region of Friuli-Venezia Giuila contains the provinces of Gorizia, Pordenone, Trieste (also the capital city) and Udine, covering an area of 7,844 sq km (3,029sq mi) with a population of around 1.18 million. It’s situated in the north-east of the country bordering Austria and Slovenia to the north and east, the Adriatic to the south and the Veneto region to the west. Friuli was occupied by the Romans under Julius Caesar and is short for Forum Iulii or Julian Forum. The region was partitioned between Italy and Yugoslavia in the aftermath of the second world war and its population is ethnically mixed – more middle European than Italian. The region is one of five in Italy accorded semi-autonomous status.

The mountainous north contains peaks as high as 2,750m (9,000ft) and is famous for the heroic first world war battles in Carso, Gorizia and Udine. There are some plains in the south around the coasts of the Gulf of Trieste, which are dotted with sandy beaches such as those at Grado and Lignano Sabbiadoro. The region is crammed with artistic treasures from the Roman, Byzantine and Romanesque-Gothic eras and is one of the most cosmopolitan and culturally sophisticated in Italy. Among the many attractive cities of historic importance are Aquileia, with its Roman monuments and Byzantine mosaics, Grado (‘golden island’) with its elegant beaches, and Cividale dei Friuli, founded by Julius Caesar.

Trieste is the largest port on the Adriatic and was once the principal port of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It’s a splendid, ancient city, designed on a grid pattern, with superb neo-classical 18th century architecture in the city centre (Borgo Teresiano) and some elegant Art Nouveau buildings. It occupies an idyllic setting on a promontory featuring Miramare castle and the nearby resorts of Sistiana and Duino. The German poet Rilke, the exiled Irish writer James Joyce and the Italian novelist Italo Svevo (Ettore Schmitz) were the initiators of Trieste’s literary tradition, which continues to this day. Trieste is also an international centre for scientific research and education (the United World College).

The Friuli-Venezia Giuila region is noted for its San Daniele ham, wine production (Pinot and Refosco), grain, fruit orchards, dairy produce and livestock. Industries include shipbuilding at Monfalcone and Trieste, textiles, chemicals, cutlery, forestry, furniture, and lead and zinc mining. The the 1988 earthquake gave a huge boost to the local economy and the reconstruction funds were wisely used to modernise industry. Unemployment is around 5 per cent.

Udine has the highest rainfall in Italy and winters in Trieste are noted for some very cold days with strong winds known as the bora. In contrast, summers are mild and pleasant without the very high temperatures found in many other regions. In a recent survey Udine was voted the best place to live in Italy.

Property: Property is reasonably priced and in the towns often features pretty Venetian architecture, while stone chalets with slate roofs are common in the mountains. On the Lagoon of Marano there are traditional fishermen’s houses built of reeds with cone-shaped roofs, which are sometimes let for rustic holidays. Prices range from €825 to €2,300 per sq m, depending on location.

Communications: The region’s communications are good: ferries leave from Trieste for the southern Adriatic and Greece, motorways link Trieste with Milan, Turin and Venice, and there’s a rail link with Austria via the Tarvisio Pass and an international airport in Trieste .

© Survival Books Limited 2003

“Buying a Home in Italy” 3rd Edition, David Hampshire.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying a Home in Italy” 3rd edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive information about buying a property in Italy, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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