7 Valleys of Carnia
Hidden in the remote northwest corner of Friuli, where Italy meets Austria, are the Carnia mountains. The area takes its name from the region's first inhabitants, a Celtic tribe called…
Cookbook Corner: Feste, Sagre, Fiere, Mercati in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Feste, Sagre, Fiere, Mercati in Friuli-Venezia Giulia by Paola Mancini and Adriano Del Fabro is primarily a guide to the festivals and markets of FVG, though as I'll get to…
Summer in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
Note: Even though Italy has begun the process of reopening following the coronavirus shutdown, many events, including the festivals listed below, have been cancelled for 2020 as a precaution. Organizers…
White Asparagus of Tavagnacco
Note: After nearly two months of a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus COVID-19, Italy is finally beginning the process of reopening. However, the festival described in this piece has…
Spring in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
Note: Like much of the world, Italy has been on a nationwide lockdown due to the devastating coronavirus COVID-19. Although the activities and events listed below will almost certainly be…
Food Festivals of Friuli: Final Thoughts
It occurred to me, after visiting these—and other—festivals, that part of Carnia’s allure was the promise of stepping back in time, to an era where life was simpler. Where every…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 4): Festa dei Frutti di Bosco
The final stop on my festival tour that July was Forni Avoltri, located in Carnia’s far north near the Austrian border. Celebrating the berries of the forest, this festival was…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 3): Mondo delle Malghe
My next stop that summer was Ravascletto, which I would use as a home base for a hike to nearby Malga Pozôf, as well as for the Mondo delle Malghe…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 2): Festa del Prosciutto
My bus ride to Sauris was one of the more hair-raising I have endured. After changing buses two times—and squeezing myself into a seat amid a sizeable group of motion-sick…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 1): Festa dell’Asparago di Bosco, del Radicchio di Montagna, e dei Funghi di Primavera
The Festa dell’Asparago di Bosco, del Radicchio di Montagna, e dei Funghi di Primavera—celebrating wild asparagus, mountain radicchio, and spring mushrooms—is held every May in Piano d’Arta, a hilltop hamlet…