Friuli Venezia Giulia is a unique region: placed on the extreme eastern border of Italy, it presents a wonderful combination of very different landscapes, populations, cultures, languages, uses and traditions.
Indeed, we can found coasts of sand, stones and cliffs, cultivated plains, which rivers Isonzo and Tagliamento plough through, and the Carnic high mountains, near the border with Austria and the Dolomiti of Veneto; everything in a territory of a few square kilometres.
The Tour of Region Friuli Venezia Giulia is faithful to its name and develops through every corner of this beautiful region, letting us discover the natural and cultural richness that always marked it.
This edition theme, “Through villas, castles and rural villages”, is the guiding thread of the whole event, as the Tour “carovana” will pass through the villas, castles and small rural villages of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Here you’ll find some pictures and information about the locations the race will pass through: they are towns and cities situated in various parts of the region, as you can have a complete idea of the beauties of this land. To get more informations, click on the name or the photo, and you will find the official site of every city.

Edition 2010 of Tour of Friuli Venezia Giulia will start from Gorizia: a city involved in a lot of historical and political events. It was first a famous holiday resort because of the healthy climate, the abundance of urban green spaces and the beauty of the surrounding Collio. It then was dramatically involved in the bombardments of the two World Wars: the peace treaty signed in 1947 gave to Jugoslavia a great part of the city, that formed a new town, Nova Gorica. The center of the urban life is Vittoria square, on which east side you will find the Castle’s hill, symbol of the city, and on the west side Saint Ignazio’s church.

In Fagagna, called “The town of storks” because these animals usually nest here, will arrive the first stage. It was populated since the roman age, and had an important role in the Friuli’s Country and during Venice’s domination. Villalta’s Lords had a still greater role thank to their castle, that was protagonist of a lot of historical events: destroyed in 1353, built again and modified different times, it has today a medieval structure, and it’s one of the most impressive and attractive castles of the region. An other place to visit is the Pieve of Santa Maria Assunta, of XVII century, San Giacomo’s church that today has an XIX century’s structure, and Cjase Cocel, the museum of farmer’s life, built as a real house of the period from 1800 to the ‘60s.

Codroipo, from which the second stage will start, was populated since the roman age. On the territory there are very interesting rural villages as Goricizza, Lonca, Muscletto, Passariano ad San Martino, and a lot of old mills: among them there’s Bert’s Mill, of 1450, still working. There are also a lot of wonderful villas, as villa Colloredo Mels in Muscletto and villa Kechler in San Martino. There’s also a very interesting Civic Museum of Ancient Carriages, with 44 historical carriages used from the end of 1800 to the beginning of 1900. The Archeological Museum, instead, placed inside the prisons of XIX century, collects finds from Bronze Age to Renaissance. In Passariano you will find the famous Villa Manin, the sumptuous residence of the last Venice’s doge and the place in which Campoformido treaty was signed between Napoleone and Austria. Nowadays it’s an important museum.

In Pordenone will end the second stage, after the great public success of 2009. It’s a city born in the medieval age, and soon become an important river port, strategic for trades with Austria. It then passed under Venice’s domination. His history was strictly linked with its river, Nocello. The Town Hall of XIII century is very characteristic, and in front of it you will find Vittorio Emanuele II street, where the most important palaces built by the local nobility between XIV and XVIII century are placed. An other symbol of the city is the roman-gothic San Marco cathedral, built in XIII century.

Maniago is famous all around the world for its knives factories, established here since the Medieval Age. There is a very interesting Museum of Smith and Knives Art, settled inside the old spinning mill, that shows the evolution of steel manufacturing in the area. You should also visit San Mauro cathedral, built in 1488, that inside has lots of paintings of XIV century and after. Near the cathedral, the big Italia square develops around the monumental fountain of XIX century, and on it the renaissance Attimis-Maniago palace overlooks. Inside the town area there are also the renaissance Immacolata Concezione church, San Carlo Borromeo church (1637) and the more ancient church of San Lorenzo in Monte and San Giacomo in Castello (before 1291).

Forni di Sopra will welcome the only arrive uphill of Tour of Region 2010 and today's stage will be defined GP Dolomiti Friulane. Equipped ski resort at the foot of Dolomiti carniche, it’s one of the most popular mountain resort of Carnia. Born during the roman age, it has always had a cooperative spirit (which created the Social Dairy), and has a noble rural architecture: for example Giordan house, that was used as a house and as a hay barn. The churches (the parish and the little San Floriano church) has a rich artistic heritage. The ones who loves mountains, are spoilt for choice among lots of walks in the surrounding woods and paths towards Dolomiti carniche, as the CAI path that leads to Giaf hut.

Arta Terme will accommodate the teams and the organizers of Tour of Region 2010 for the last two days, and from there the last stage will start. It’s not only a mountain resort, but also a famous and appreciated health spa, with the termal baths built between 1962 and 1964 and then enlarged in the 80s. In Piano d’Arta’s parish there are eighteenth-century altars and paintings of great value. The two little church of San Nicolò degli Alzeri and of Santo Spirito, in Chiusini, built in 1400, are also very interesting.

In Udine the Tour of Friuli Venezia Giulia 2010 will end. The city, chief town of Friuli, developed from 1200, after it was elected as capital city of Aquileia’s patriarch domains, and it linked its history to the most important events of Friuli. It fell under Venice’s domination, and a lot of wonderful buildings and palaces appeared, and then was ruled by Austria, until it was transferred to Italy in 1866. It’s not a city that shows itself immediately, leaving to the tourist the pleasure of discovering its monuments and churches, its evocative spots and a very human dimension that puts immediately the tourist at ease. The heart of Udine is the Venetian Libertà square, at the foot of Castle’s hill, closed by San Giovanni’s Loggia, that includes the Clock Tower, that draw its inspiration from San Marco’s tower in Venice.

Grado will accommodate the teams and the organizers for the first two days. It’s famous since the late 1800 as a sea resort and a health resort, and it’s also a great art city, with a lot of beautiful early Christian buildings inside the picturesque ancient city, characterized by a Venetian toponymy. In the central campo dei Patriarchi is put the majestic cathedral (Basilica of Sant’Eufemia) consecreated in 579; the late-medieval bell tower is 42 metres high and on the top ends with the statue of San Michele, the symbol of the city. Tourists should enjoy a walk on the panoramic Nazario Sauro seafront, built on the nineteenth-century barrage, on which the national Museum of underwater Archaeology overlooks. Beside the beach, one of the most equipped and smart ones of the Adriatic Sea) are settled the famous seawater thermal baths and the Parco delle Rose, where manifestations and shows are performed.