Established during the Middle Ages as a port on the Noncello River, Pordenone was acquired by the Venetian Republic in 1514. Today, the city’s historic center retains an atmosphere of Venetian charm, its elegant streets lined with porticoes and painted palaces. Along the stylish Corso Vittorio Emanuele, many façades have been restored to their original brilliance; others, however, still reveal faded, peeling frescoes. At the end of the long Corso, the Duomo di San Marco towers over the Palazzo Comunale (also called the Municipio). The central tower of the Municipio features a clock with symbols of the zodiac, somewhat reminiscent of the clock towers in Udine and Venice.