Venzone

Venzone is the best-preserved fortified village in Friuli Venezia Giulia, an extraordinary example of architectural and artistic restoration. The devastating earthquake of 1976 destroyed what was the only 14th-century walled village in the region. But the inhabitants did not give up and demanded that their village be rebuilt stone by stone exactly as it was, with large walls surrounded by a moat and three gates, one of which, the Porta di San Genesio, still retains its watchtower. The heart of the town is the Duomo di Sant'Andrea Apostolo, a significant example of Gothic architecture, as is the Palazzo Comunale. Along the main street stands one of the best-preserved aristocratic residences, Palazzo Orgnani-Martina (16th century), which houses the Museum 'Forests, Man, Economy in Friuli Venezia Giulia', a permanent exhibition on the ecosystem of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The permanent exhibition 'Tiere Motus - history of an earthquake and its people' reconstructs the events surrounding the 1976 earthquake.