Valvasone

Valvasone (Voleson in Friulan) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Trieste and about 15 kilometres (9 mi) east of Pordenone. As of 31 December 2010, it had a population of 2,224 and an area of 17.9 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi). History The first information about the castle of Valvasone tells how in the 1218 the original manor-house was kept by Ulvino and Bonfante for the Patriarch of Aquileia. These were the founders of the first feudal family, but in 1268 this family was killed because of the rebellion of Corrado from Valvasone. The side of the Tagliamento River, which flows near the town, was very important indeed, to let it without any form of control. That's the reason why the Patriarch assigned Walterpertoldo from Spilimbergo to control the area. In 1273 he did a great restoration to the buildings near the river, in order to effect the best form of control against the foreigners. These works, however, did not modify the structure of the town, that has the castle in its centre and the other buildings are situated just around it. When Walterpertoldo died, and the first generation of the Spilimbergo ended, a huge fight for the succession in controlling Valvasone begins between two really important families in the area: the Zuccola and the Cucagna. In 1292 the Patriarch Raimondo della Torre gave to Simone di Cucagna the power to control Valvasone and its surroundings: that's the biginning of the second genealogy of feudal overlords of Valvasone. In that period Valvasone had a militar structure, but it was also the residence of those nobles who built the real village, the embrayo of the modern town. Before the 1300 the nobles decided to build up a surrounding stone wall; this was possible because they parcelled out the urban pieces of land and the gave these pieces to the craftsmen and shopkeepers. In front of the drawbridge the public loggia was built meanwhile a well was dug by the Torre delle Ore. Now these interventions are difficult to find because of the recent constructions. In the 1350s the nobles decided to enlarge the village: in this way they create one of the most beautiful examples of medieval town-planning in west friuli. In the north area they built a small church, devoted to San Giacomo and outside of the walls a small village was created, and it had its own church, dedicated to S. Giovanni and S. Maria. For about a decade the look of the town remained basically the same, but after the fall of the Patriarch and the arrive of the Venetians, the structure of Valvasone wasn't proper to sustain the increasing commerce and traffic along the way Portogruaro-Venzone. So Giacomo Giorgio from Valvasone wanted to expand the village but also to restor the old buildings and the churches. He was responsible for the construction of the dom (1449) in the middle of the intern village. Because of that the two others churches were abandoned. The new division of land into smaller pieces was more residential than the previous two and in this division was built a new small church, devoted to Ss. Pietro and Paolo, saints loved by the population. In the end the hospital, which operated since 1335, was restored. Important for the history of Valvasone was the 1511, in which the population attacked he castle, which however was empty, and it was given fire. During the end of the 1800s, as in a lot of towns in Friuli, the walls were destroyed, but the medieval atmosphere is still untouched. The municipality of Valvasone contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Casamatta, Pozzo dipinto, Ponte Tagliamento, and Torricella. Events Zir dai Arboras: during the night of 5 January, a great number of Epiphany fires are lighted, and by every fire there is a combination of music, warm spicy wine and cakes. Wild marjoran concerts: during spring time a list of concerts are organized in the dom, where it is possible to listen to the only venetian wild marjoran in Friuli. San Pietro and Paolo celebration: during June the towns honors the two patrons. Historical evocation: the second week end of September it is possible to live again in the medieval century; it is a full immersion in the scents and colours of that era. Valvasone borders the following municipalities: Arzene, Casarsa della Delizia, Codroipo, San Martino al Tagliamento, San Vito al Tagliamento, Sedegliano. It is also listed in the most beautiful villages in Italy, a philanthropic association that gathers a big number of small towns that have particular historical features. Demographic evolution People Tullio Avoledo Antonio Montico [(Erasmo di Valvason)] References ^ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat. External links www.comune.valvasone.pn.it