/ Location
established in
Maniago a Northern
region of Italy
Friuli Venezia Giulia, a Northern region of Italy
with a strong metallurgical heritage
tracing back to the 15th Century.
Maniago
Maniago was mentioned for the first time in an official document dated 12th January 981 AD: it was a diploma signed by Emperor Otto II, which confirmed the possession of the court of Maniago to the Patriarchate of Aquileia. Maniago is famous all over the world for its production of knives and of all kinds of cutting tools: the beginning of the history of the blacksmiths from Maniago can be dated back to 1453, when Nicolò from Maniago obtained permission from Venice Water Authority to canalize into an irrigation ditch the water of the Còlvera stream. Along the same irrigation ditch, in correspondence of suitable drops in height, various ironworks were established, where, besides farming tools, people also started to produce swords and spears for the Republic of Venice. Since then Maniago has given birth to hundreds of blacksmiths and knife makers and today is the seat of the District of Cutlery Works, made up of nine municipalities of the area, which employs about a thousand workers in the production cycle of cutting tools only and is the second industrial centre in the province of Pordenone.
Today the building that since 1907 housed the first large cutlery works in Maniago houses the Museum of blacksmith art and of cutlery works, which reconstructs the workplaces and displays the main past and present productions of the town’s industry.
Maniago, with about 12,000 inhabitants, stands out for its large Piazza Italia, the beating heart of the community, overlooked by the main historic buildings: from the fifteenth-century Cathedral in late Friulian Gothic style dedicated to St. Mauro the Martyr to Palazzo D’Attimis Maniago, the walls of which feature the fresco of St. Mark’s lion, attributed to Pomponio Amalteo and evidence of the long Venetian rule.
On a hill at the back of the Palazzo you will see the ruins of the ancient castle, probably built in the 11th century and definitively abandoned during the 17th century.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
With its triple-barrelled exotic sounding name, Friuli Venezia Giulia’s multifaceted nature should come as no surprise. Cultural complexity is cherished in this small, little-visited region, tucked away on Italy’s far northeastern borders with Austria and Slovenia. Friuli Venezia Giulia’s landscapes offer profound contrasts too, with the foreboding, perpetually snowy Giulie and Carnic Alps in the north, idyllic grapevinelled plains in the centre, the south’s beaches, Venetian-like lagoons and the curious, craggy karst that encircles Trieste. While there’s an amazing reserve of often uncrowded historical sights, from Roman ruins to Austro-Hungarian palaces, this is also a destination for simply kicking back with the locals, tasting the region’s world-famous wines and discovering a culinary heritage that will broaden your notions of the Italian table. Serene, intriguing Trieste and friendly, feisty Udine make for great city time – they’re so easy and welcoming you’ll soon feel as if you’re Friulian, Venezian or Giulian too.
Venice
Venice and its mainland are particularly rich in museums and historical buildings of great artistic and cultural importance. This romantic city draws millions of visitors and is easily accessible by land, sea and air. You also cannot afford to miss in the areas surrounding Venice, such as the villas along the Brenta river and the beautiful landscapes the Miranese area, and of course less famous islands in Venice Lagoon.