The Friuli

Geography

The Friuli is historically delimited in the west by the river Livenza, in north by the the carnic Alps, in the east by the the Alps juliennes, the first solid masses of the Carso and the river Timavo, in the south by the Adriatic Sea. Many rivers irrigate the area of north in the south. Among the principal ones, the Tagliamento, in addition to those already quoted, one finds the Torre, the Natisone, the Stella, the Isonzo, the Ausa, the Timavo.

History

Origins and the Roman epoch

Populated originally by the Celts, the area was colonized by the Romans with, and was deeply influenced by the Latin culture, grace in particular to the important presence of Aquileia, fourth city of the empire with more 200 000 inhabitants and major river center on Natissa, and moreover, capital of the tenth area augustea (Venetia and Histria); The development of other centers, among which Forum Iulii (Cividale del Friuli) and Iulium Carnicum (Zuglio) contributed to ensure the area a certain prosperity. It was however more and more exposed with the cruel incursions and starting from the middle of the 2nd century its decline started. The invasion of Huns marked the beginning of the decline, when Aquileia was literally shaven by Attila during the barbarian invasion which it led. This city remained important even for the period of the decline, from the presence of the Patriarch, one of the greatest Christian authorities of the time. With the collapse of the empire, the plain frioulane was less and less sure, since it is from there that all the great cruel invasions arrived. Many people took refuge on the islands of the coast or in the strengthened boroughs of the hills.

The Middle Ages

The regional capital was transferred to Forum Iulii, which was strengthened during the Middle Ages so that it can resist to the barbarians. In 568 the domination lombarde succeeded the short passage of the Byzantines on the territory. Among the tribes which left traces, one precisely finds the Lombards, which created a duchy with Cividale del Friuli, which then became the most important city of the Friuli of the time. Following the defeat of Lombards by the Francs, the role of the German emperors gained importance, just like that of the lords who controlled current Austria, even if the problem of confusions in the east remained. Meanwhile, the capacity of the Patriarchate of Aquileia increased, and this last controlling most of the territory, the April 3rd 1077, the emperor Henri IV granted to the Sigeardo Patriarch the county of the Friuli with ducal prerogatives for its fidelity with the imperial capacity. Line which was also followed by the successors of Sigeardo and which enabled them to consolidate the state, the “Fatherland dal Friûl” which included at various times the town of Trieste, the Istrie, the Carinthie, the Styrie so that it was then one of vastest of Italy of then. During this time, the new shopping mall of Udine took importance more and more, and passed then from simple commune with seigniory of powerful Savorgnan and started has to dispute the hegemony of the old capital.

Venetian domination in Risorgimento

The experiment of the Patriarchate, under certain aspects very modern, was completed in 1420, when the Friuli was annexed to the Republic of Venice, one of the great powers of the time, which saw these areas like its natural back-country. In 1516, the Emperor of Austria took the control of the Eastern Friuli, whereas the Western Friuli remained Venetian until in 1797, the year of the Traité of Campo-Formio, when following the Napoleonean campaigns the Friuli was also yielded to Austria, which lost it a time, during which it belonged to the Italic Kingdom, of 1805 with the Restoration. The areas of Udine and Pordenone were annexed in Italy in 1866 with the Venezia, whereas the Eastern Friuli (called Comté of Gorizia and Gradisca) remained Austrian until the end of the First World War

Modern history

For the period of the Fascism, the Friuli had to support a process of “assimilation” which included/understood the modification of family names and the place names for “Italian” forms more, until detention for those which were opposed to these changes. After 1943 the movement in favor acquired more and more power until the creation of a free Republic of Carnie. Meanwhile, the Friuli was integrated in the German State, interested by an outlet on the Adriatic Sea and which aimed at the end of the conflict the creation of a buffer state, separated from the remainder of Italy. However, the defeat of Third Reich buried this project and the Friuli became again Italian (even if there were violent one clashes with some communist partisans who wished the application of the idea of Tito to annex in Yugoslavia all the territory to the river Tagliamento.

Language

Almost all the inhabitants of the area speak the Italian in first or second language and on most of the territory of the Friuli, one finds also several alternatives very close to the Langue frioulane. One meets also Venetian minorities close to the Western limit, around the lagoon (Marano) and in Eastern limit (Isontino), of the German minorities in the Valley Canale and the hamlet of Timau close to the border with the Austria. One finds also zones slovènophones in the valleys of Torre, of Natisone (Benecija in local language, historically related on the Slavic culture linguistically and culturally but to the Friuli with regard to the political and socio-economic history) like in Collio Goriziano (septentrional buttress of the Juliens Sloveniens). There exist also minority idioms and Résians dialects (coming the Slavic top) spoken in the valley about Resia, and a German-speaking language of Sauris (linguistic small island in the mountainous region of Carnie). All these languages are considered by those which speak them like languages different from the Slovenien and German. The speeches ladins of Erto and Casso (in limit with Venezia), nowadays almost disappeared with the profit from Italian and the dialect from Belluno.

Economy

Until half of the 20th century, the Friuli remains a ground deeply rural and very poor, which caused a continuous emigration towards countries like the the United States, the Canada, the Argentine, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Romania or the Australia. The development began in the Années 1960 and involved the creation of this important fabric of industries and artisanal companies which are at the origin of the development of the Italian North-East. The creation of the industrial districts, among which the “triangle of the chair” in the south-east of the province of Udine (Manzano, S. Giovanni Al Natisone) and the district of the piece of furniture in the province of Pordenone (Brugnera) gave much dash to industrial development. In the area of Udine, iron and steel industry (Safau, Bertoli) and food (Moretti Beer) made place with a distribution network commercial of average and great dimension, concentrated especially in the north of the city, whereas heavy industry (steel-works ABS, Danieli) was transferred in the back country from Udine. The industrial district of Aussa-Corno, centered on the river port of San Giorgio di Nogaro experienced a great development these last years. Tourism represents an important branch of the economy frioulane, with the seaside resorts of Grado and Lignano Sabbiadoro, (major sites of the Adriatique), the historical centres of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, Gemona del Friuli and Venzone, as well as many possibilities of country holidays scattered in all Friuli. During the winter season, the alpine villages (Tarvisio, Forni di Sopra, Piancavallo, Ravascletto, Sella Nevea) are attended not the skiers. Agriculture and the craft industry are there also very important: believed hams of San Daniele del Friuli, Sauris, Cormons, Montasio cheese, Gubana pastry making, wines universally considered, brandies, fruits, vegetables, poultries, craft industry of wood and metals, jewelry, mosaic.

Internal bond

List of the dukes and marquis de Frioul

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