Pordenone between Frescoes, Museums and the Noncello

Pordenone combines the appreciation of art, historic buildings and nature-rich urban experiences. The city is known as the “painted city” and has fully frescoed palaces. Just a few steps from the city centre, the Noncello offers quiet, nature-rich places for relaxation and reflection.

Art in Historic Palaces

The Museo Civico d’Arte displays panel and canvas paintings, drawings, frescoes, wooden sculptures, furniture, goldsmith’s work and ceramics from the Middle Ages to the present day. It is located in Palazzo Ricchieri at Corso Vittorio Emanuele II No. 51. Palazzo Ricchieri was initially built in the 13th century as a fortified tower house near the river port on the Noncello and was later transformed into a Venetian-style palace.

The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Silvia Zenari also combines a collection with a historic setting: it is located in the 16th-century Palazzo Amalteo in the historic centre of Pordenone. The collections cover mineralogy, petrography, palaeontology, botany, zoology, ethnography and technology and contain more than 90,000 catalogued specimens. To meet different needs, the museum offers high-contrast signage, tactile picture cards, audio content, content in Italian Sign Language, Easy Language and augmentative and alternative communication, as well as augmented-reality experiences.

Archaeology and Sacred Art

The Museo Archeologico del Friuli Occidentale is housed in Castello di Torre. It contains material from the Roman Villa di Torre as well as medieval and Renaissance ceramics found in Torre and Pordenone. Its offerings include guided tours, visits for school groups, and activities and workshops.

The Museo Diocesano di Arte Sacra presents a collection spanning from the 7th century to the present day, with a focus on works of local origin. The exhibition is organised both chronologically by material and according to purpose, and displays evidence of sacramental practice and religious devotion. The holdings include frescoes and sinopias, panel and canvas paintings, glass objects, wooden and stone sculptures, silverwork, drawings and prints, as well as liturgical vestments.

Churches, Photography and City Park

The Chiesa di San Giorgio is a Neoclassical church built on the site of an older 14th-century structure. It preserves altarpieces by Gasparo Narvesa and Michelangelo Grigoletti, as well as frescoes by Tiburzio Donadon. The Duomo di San Marco contains works by Giovanni Antonio de Sacchis (“Il Pordenone”), including the main altarpiece dedicated to Saint Mark, the Misericordia altarpiece, and frescoes of Saint Roch, Saint Erasmus and the Madonna and Child. The cathedral was built from the 13th century onwards and later enlarged with a large polygonal apse and six side chapels. Its stone portal was created by Giovanni Antonio Pilacorte and bears the year 1511. The side chapels contain frescoes by Giovanni Maria Zaffoni (“il Calderari”) and an altarpiece by Pomponio Amalteo.

The Galleria Harry Bertoia is an exhibition space in the 14th-century Palazzo Spelladi; the original structure of Palazzo Spelladi can be dated back at least to the beginning of the 14th century. The Galleria presents major temporary exhibitions, often dedicated to author photography and conceived as curated projects. Throughout the museum, it is accessible to wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility. Palazzo del Fumetto is located in Parco Galvani, a significant urban park near the centre of Pordenone.

Parco del Castello di Torre and the area of the Villa Romana are divided into three zones connected by a bridge over the Noncello.

Theatre and Literary Festival

Teatro Verdi Pordenone offers a programme of theatre, music, dance and opera. Its main auditorium can accommodate opera, music, dance, theatre, conferences and cinema. For a trip with a literary focus, the pordenonelegge literary festival returns to Pordenone and the surrounding area from 16 to 20 September 2026 for its 27th edition. The festival’s events take place at numerous symbolic locations in Pordenone.

Getting There and Routes Locally

Pordenone railway station is about a five-minute walk from the historic city centre and is the main interchange between rail services and local public transport. Pordenone is located on the Venice–Udine railway line and is served by frequent regional and long-distance trains to Venice, Treviso, Conegliano, Udine, Gorizia and other destinations in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

For a shorter exploration of the city, the Pordenone Musei network offers an eight-part route through the city’s art, environment and history. The estimated length is approximately 1.3 kilometres, and the duration is about one hour. The route through the “painted city” is accessible to visitors with disabilities. In addition, Pordenone’s cycle path network provides access to the foothills and Montereale Valcellina and is connected to the wider network of cycle paths in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Places Around Pordenone

Casarsa Della Delizia, Caneva, Prata Di Pordenone, Valeriano, San Martino Al Tagliamento, San Quirino, Sacile, Fiume Veneto, La Croce, Cavasso Nuovo, Andreis, Barcis, Cordenons, Frisanco, Fanna, Arba, Sequals, Pravisdomini, Brugnera, Chions, Vivaro, Clauzetto, Aviano, Azzano Decimo, Pordenone, San Vito Al Tagliamento, Montereale Valcellina, Spilimbergo, Fontanafredda, Frazione di Villa D'arco, Budoia, Sesto Al Reghena, Vito D'asio, Porcia, Pasiano di Pordenone, Maniago, Paludea, Travesio, Pinzano Al Tagliamento, Polcenigo, Cordovado, Sedrano, Erto, Zoppola, Rauscedo, Cimolais, Tramonti di Sotto, Carbona, Tramonti Di Sopra

To the higher-level travel overview: Friuli Venezia Giulia.