Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sacile
POP 20,200
Sacile, the self-styled Giardino della Serenissima (Garden of Serenity), is formed by two
islands standing amid the willow-lined Livenza river and a network of canals. Sacile indeed
took much of its early architectural inspiration from the Most Serene Republic of Venice,
which is reflected in the typically Venetian townhouses and palazzo that, despite various
earthquakes and WWII bombings, still line the tranquil little waterways. Of the many, the
impressively frescoed
Palazzo Ragazzoni-Flangini-Billia
is worth a peek.
The annual August
Sagra dei Osei
(bird festival) has been held since 1274 and is one of
the oldest festivals in Italy. Look out for exhibitions, a market and a (bird) song contest.
Friendly
La Piola
( 0434 78 18 93;
www.lapiolasacile.it
;
Piazza del Popolo 9; meals €28;
noon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sat, noon-3pm Sun)
has windows and a terrace backing on to the
canal. Its menu of Serenissima-style seafood is delivered with a fresh eye, and the wine se-
lection is impressive. If a riverside stroll calls for gelato,
Il Gelatone
(Viale Pietro Zancanaro 1;
10am-10pm Tue-Sun)
can help you out.
Sacile is on the main train line between Venice (€4.60, one hour) and Udine (€5.50, 45
minutes).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Udine
POP 98,400 / ELEV 114M
While reluctantly ceding its premier status to Trieste in the 1950s, this confident, wealthy
provincial city remains the spiritual and gastronomic capital of Friuli. Udine gives little
away in its sprawling semirural suburbs, but encased inside the peripheral ring road lies an
infinitely grander medieval centre: a dramatic melange of Venetian arches, Grecian statues
and Roman columns. The old town is pristine, but lively. Bars here are not just for posing -
kicking on is the norm.
