Premariacco: History, Natisone Gorge and Wine
Accommodation in Premariacco
Premariacco combines cultural history, wine tradition and a distinctive river landscape. Between the medieval Centa di San Silvestro, the outdoor art of Leproso, Rocca Bernarda and the Natisone Gorge, the town reveals a diverse character. You can therefore tailor your trip to different interests: historical traces, regional wine tradition, landscapes and observing nature.
History and art between Premariacco and Leproso
The medieval Centa di San Silvestro stood around the former Church of San Silvestro in Premariacco. The square tower of the Centa di San Silvestro dates from around 1100 and was converted into a bell tower in the 17th century. From the area of the Centa di San Silvestro, a path lined by two walls leads close to the Natisone River. Historical architecture and the riverside landscape can be viewed here as interconnected themes in the history of the town.
The Parco Sculture Braida Copetti in Leproso di Premariacco offers a different cultural facet. The cultural spectrum thus ranges from medieval architectural history to art in the open air.
Rocca Bernarda and the wine tradition
Rocca Bernarda represents Premariacco's long wine tradition: wine has been produced there since 1559. At the same time, the villa-castle Rocca Bernarda was built in 1567 by Jacopo and Bernardo di Valvason Maniago.
Rocca Bernarda has always been regarded as a reference point for Picolit, a rare meditation wine from the Colli Orientali. Those interested in regional products and the cultural character of Friuli will find a tangible way in Premariacco to experience the connection between landscape, history and wine.
Memorial sites from the Second World War
The history of the area also includes the Campo PG57 prisoner-of-war camp in Premariacco, which operated from 1941 to 1943. During the Second World War, more than 4,000 New Zealand and Australian soldiers were housed in the Grupignano/San Mauro area of Premariacco; most of them had been captured in Africa.
A chapel built by the Allied soldiers imprisoned there has survived from Campo PG57. In the 1990s, the Associazione nazionale genieri e trasmettitori d'Italia, known as Anget, restored the surviving chapel. Alongside architecture and wine, these sites give a journey through Premariacco a clearly defined historical dimension.
Natisone Gorge and natural environment
The relevant section of the Natisone River extends into the landscapes of Premariacco and Firmano and forms a gorge cut into ancient alluvial deposits. Water erosion created potholes and rock shelters there. The river's formations make the geological development of the landscape an immediate subject of exploration.
The Roman bridge near Premariacco is important for orientation on site: it is one of the most easily accessible viewpoints over the Natisone River. Along the Natisone Gorge, there are numerous pedestrian access points to the river, reachable via side roads off the SS54 and via the road between Carraria and San Quirino.
The area surrounding the gorge also has its own ecological character. In the non-urbanised and non-intensively farmed surroundings of the Natisone Gorge near Premariacco, stable dry grasslands still grow on nutrient-poor alluvial soils with species-rich flora, including many orchids. Premariacco therefore offers not only historic sites, but also a landscape in which river formations, soils and plant life belong together.
More places for planning your trip
Orsaria, Faedis, Ravascletto, San Pietro Al Natisone, Torsa, Tolmezzo, Villa Vicentina and Sant'Eliseo.
For the overarching travel overview: Udine.
