Friuli-Venezia Giulia · Udine
Venzone
A 230-meter walled medieval town in the Tagliamento valley, leveled by the 1976 earthquake and rebuilt stone by stone, winner of Borgo dei Borghi 2017.
Known for
REBUILT STONE BY STONE
Leveled by the 6 May 1976 earthquake, the entire walled town was reassembled by anastilosis using the original fallen blocks.
THE MUMMIES
Five naturally mummified corpses in the San Michele crypt, the cause of preservation still unexplained four centuries on.
BORGO DEI BORGHI 2017
Voted Italy's most beautiful village by RAI's Kilimangiaro program, recognition of the post-earthquake reconstruction.
When to visit
Best · May–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Why come
Venzone sits in the upper Tagliamento valley, ninety kilometers northwest of Trieste. The hexagonal walls, double-built and eight meters high, were started in 1258 by Glizoio of Mels and circled by a moat and fifteen towers. The town survived intact into the twentieth century, the best-preserved walled town in Friuli.
On 6 May 1976 the Friuli earthquake leveled it: forty-seven residents died, the duomo collapsed, almost every house came down. The reconstruction took the rare path of anastilosis, recovering each fallen stone and putting it back where it had been. The Duomo di Sant'Andrea Apostolo, erected in 1308, was reassembled by 1990.
In the crypt of the San Michele Chapel are five of the mummies of Venzone, naturally preserved corpses found from the 1600s onward, their preservation still unexplained. The town was voted Borgo dei Borghi 2017 by the RAI program Kilimangiaro.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Venzone’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Duomo di Sant'Andrea Apostolo
Cathedral built in 1308, destroyed by the 1976 earthquake and reassembled stone by stone by 1990 using the original blocks.
Cinta muraria
Hexagonal double walls eight meters high, started in 1258 by Glizoio of Mels, surrounded by moat and fifteen defensive towers.
Mummie di Venzone
Five naturally mummified bodies preserved in the crypt of the San Michele Chapel, found from the 1600s onward, cause of preservation still unknown.
Centro storico
Walled medieval core rebuilt by anastilosis after 1976, recognized as the best-preserved fortified town in Friuli.
Festa della Zucca
Pumpkin festival held every fourth weekend of October, with the centro storico set as a medieval village for the occasion.
The slow-trip planner
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Living here
- Population 1,939
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Venice, 1 h 58 min drive
- Regional capital Trieste, 1 h 29 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 230 m
- Population: 1,939
- Surface area: 54.55 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Close by
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