Itinerary

The road of castles and flavors begins in the shadow of the massive clock tower of the castle of Colloredo di Monte Albano. The Friulian poet Ermes di Colloredo lived in the halls of this ancient castle, frescoed by Raphael's pupil, Giovanni da Udine.
Before leaving Colloredo, you can also visit the Castle of Caporiacco and the Torate, a legacy of the ancient castle of Mels and from the top of which you can admire the splendid union of water and flora of the morainic amphitheater.

A detour of a few kilometers takes us in sight of the white towers of the splendid castle of Cassacco. This manor is one of the best preserved in the region, and has remained substantially unchanged over the centuries given its scarce strategic importance during the Middle Ages. Perhaps the luckiest will be the first to identify the mysterious 40 steps that, according to legend, would lead to a secret passage that would connect this castle and the nearby castle of Tricesimo, which for over a century belonged to the same family of Montegnacco.

Continuing to Treppo Grande you will find yourself traveling along roads that wind between gentle wooded hills and lush meadows, dotted with ponds and lakes characteristic of the area, called "Pozzôns". This panoramic view can be admired from the ancient castle-villa of Zegliacco, which has dominated the landscape since the Middle Ages, and which connects with a picturesque historic village. Once your curiosity is satisfied you can continue in the direction of Buja.

Once in Buja it is possible to climb its highest hill, called "Monte". Inside the historic village of San Lorenzo, there is the parish church of the same name, one of the oldest and most distinguished in Friuli. Inside it is preserved, unique in the region, a complete cycle of frescoes dedicated to the Madonna. The remains of the medieval castle are visible to the east of the hill.
Going north you reach Osoppo where, near the Town Hall, begins the climb that leads to the top of the hill on which the Fortress, a National Monument since 1923, is located. Witness to various military events that took place over the centuries, the fort is characterized by the presence of medieval and renaissance remains, as well as trenches, galleries and walkways dating back to the First World War.

From Osoppo, deviating from the straight that leads to San Daniele del Friuli, you can enter the fresh meadows from which the clear springs of Bârs flow, limpid rivers surrounded by luxuriant nature, where it is also possible to practice trekking and gliding.
The four mighty towers of the castle on the hill of Susans (Majano) stand out to guard this landscape. This stronghold stands on the site of an ancient Roman castrum, later used as a medieval fortress, whose first official documents of existence date back to 1031.
In 1511, like most of the castles in the area, it was the scene of the bloody battles between pro-imperial and pro-Venetian factions, which resulted in the famous peasant revolt of "Fat Thursday".

From Susans you can continue towards Cimano along the curves of a winding touristic road that will allow you to reach the top of the Mount of Ragogna. From this panoramic point you can enjoy a unique view of the expanse of the morainic amphitheater and the meandering of the Tagliamento river. From here, numerous forest trails branch off in every direction, giving you a perfect opportunity to enter the suggestive woods and explore them.
At the other end of the mountain, on a rocky promontory overlooking the Tagliamento, stands the castle of Ragogna. Paolo Diacono already spoke of this fort in the 12th century in the Historia Langobardorum, mentioning the Lombard fortresses involved in the struggle between Avars and Lombards in the year 610. Currently the castle complex has been recovered and is the site of various events; you can admire the city walls, which originally surrounded the entire hill, some towers and the now rebuilt residential domus.
And for those who are not a lover of history or architecture, or simply want to cool off on a hot day, they can go to the nearby town of Villuzza, where you can find one of the most popular and popular beaches on the Tagliamento river.

Continuing in the direction of San Daniele del Friuli you can take a short stop on the shores of Lake of Ragogna, the last intermorenic basin in the region. The lake is an ideal place for the observation of migratory and sedentary birds and for fishing, especially carp.
When you reach San Daniele, you are spoiled for choice: taste the famous San Daniele ham in one of the many local ham shops or visit its historic center, which houses medieval and Renaissance beauties. The atmosphere is dominated by the imposing Palladian façade of the Duomo of San Daniele, and you can admire architectural wonders such as the small church of Sant'Antonio Abate decorated with frescoes by Pellegrino da San Daniele, the Guarneriana Library with its ancient illuminated Dante manuscripts, the fine Church of the Madonna della Fratta, Palladio's Portonàt and the "Casa del Trecento", a 14th century House.

Once you have satisfied your hunger for art and ham, you are ready to take the panoramic road that leads to Fagagna. However, before reaching this destination, two obelisks suggest a detour to the right to reach the castle of the Arcano Superiore: magnificently preserved, and still inhabited, it is surrounded by a fairytale aura given its isolated position. It originally stood near the church of San Mauro, on the banks of the Corno river. For defensive and strategic reasons, it was later rebuilt in the place where it is still located today. The castle still today has its suggestive medieval aspect, with the Guelph crenellated curtains, the characteristic double tower and the mighty keep with an elegant row of late Romanesque mullioned windows at the top.

Northwest of the center of Fagagna is the Quadris birdlife oasis. In this complex mosaic of natural environments, you can observe submerged plants, floating plants and shreds of hydrophilic wood with willows, black alder and English oaks. An experimental station for the reintroduction of the white stork has been established here and hosts a colony of hermit ibis. At the Oasis there are also (unique in Italy) some examples of konik horses, direct ancestors of the tarpans, Eurasian wild horses now extinct.
Not far away and overlooking the ancient Via del Sale (Roman road that connected Concordia Sagittaria and Venice to Salzburg) stands Casaforte La Brunelde. The latter stands on the remains of a Roman agricultural-military villa and is historically linked to the counts of Arcano. Built on three floors, the house has some important rooms from a historical and architectural point of view. The "Canipa", located on the ground floor and the "Hall of Justice" on the upper floor, which opens in all its majesty behind the ancient wooden and wrought iron door recovered in the Cervignano del Friuli prison. The name of this hall derives from the use made of it in the past: it was in fact the "court", within which the trials relating to crimes committed in the surrounding lands were held.
Highly evocative is the study, with 17th-century crimson silk wallpaper and the pompous "head of the sky" that dominates the desk: a huge family tree of the family dominates and the ancient part of the family archive is preserved, with original documents from the 11th century.

Reached the center of Fagagna you can climb to the top of the hill passing in front of the 16th-century "Casa della Comunità" erected in 1456, when the steward Giovanni di Fagagna applied for the construction of a new Palazzo Pubblico, and the medieval “iron” gate. The ruined remains of medieval walls and a tower converted into a bell tower testify to the ancient presence of a castle dating back to the 10th century. Descending from the hill in the direction of Udine, you can admire the castle of Villalta, one of the most evocative in the region. Due to ups and downs, the castle of Villalta, dating back to the 10th-11th centuries, was destroyed several times and then rebuilt due to the fierce fighting both for its strategically important position and for the turbulence of its feudal lords. Gloomy legends hovered over the castle, such as that of the tragic lovers Ginevra and Odorico, and for many decades the counts della Torre were banished from it. They regained possession of it only after the fall of the Serenissima in 1797.

Going up north you come in sight of Moruzzo, whose castle was originally built by wives dependent on the patriarchal steward of Fagagna, in the thirteenth century. It came into the possession of the Venetians and then put to fire and sword by the Turks in 1477 and changed hands over the centuries. Still today the complex is used partly as workshops and partly as a private residence. In addition to the ancient fifteenth-century residence, the "captain's house" (where there were the prisons and the judicial chancellery), two 17th-century barchesse and the oratory of San Leonardo are still visible. From the top of its towers you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Friulian plain.
In the nearby hamlet of Brazzacco there are the ruins of the 14th-century upper castle and the tower, known as Sant’Andrea, of the lower one. Here there are two private museums, one dedicated to the famous explorer Pietro di Brazzà Savorgnan, the other dedicated to the illustrator and poet Stepan Zavrel, which can be visited by appointment.

From here you can reach the entrance to the motorway or relive a new emotion backwards among hills, castles and flavors.motion backwards among hills, castles and flavours.