Nestled in the midsts of green country, in a delightful valley at the foot of the Julian Alps and the Karst, Gorizia, because of its exceptional geographical position as a meeting point of races, has always been a centre of conflicting views, concords, and clashes.
The name Gorizia derives from a topographical feature of the place (in Slovene "gorica" names "small mountain"). The name therefore refers to the castle hill on which a prehistoric Castelliere was built and where later a Roman lookout tower was added.
The earliest traces of the existence of this terraced settlement surrounding the castle date from the 10th century when the Emperor Otto III granted it to the Conti del Friuli (Counts of Friuli). From then onwards it belonged to the noble family Eppenstain, whose origins were German.

From 1117 the castle was for four centuries the residence of the Conti di Gorizia, a powerful family who in the 13th century succeeded in expanding the territory from the Tyrol and the Carinthia to Trevigiano and even as far as the borders with Croatia. In 1500, when the last member of that family died, Gorizia came into possession of the Hapsburg monarchy to whose fortunes and misfortunes it remained tied, except for a brief period of the Venetian domination and Napoleonic occupation, until the end of World War I when it became Italian.

At the end of World War II Gorizia remained Italian but as a result of that disastrous conflict it was forced to submit to the division of the province and the border with ex Yugoslavia running right through the city itself.

Today Gorizia is a town that has been able to maintain the characteristics of a "Garden city" where the public and private gardens are in perfect harmony with the architecture, and where the layout of the streets and the outline of the buildings, the cupolas, and the atmosphere of the cafes all bear witness to the city having Middle-European origins.

Strolling through the streets of the town one is reminded of its historic and artistic greatness. The heart of the city is still the castle itself, which can be reached via a steep road flanked with bastions dating back to the 16th century, most of which were rebuilt and restored after being destroyed during World War I. This restoration brought to light the old walls of the 13th century Palazzo dei Conti and the Palazzo degli Stati Provinciali, situated at the eastern part of the castle and built in the 1400s. Descending again towards the old city centre one comes across the small 14th century church of St. Spirito and close by a charming 7th century mansion once belonging to the Conti Formentini and now housing the History of Art Museum.
Museo Provinciale (Regional Museum), where one can admire works of Guardi and Tominz, is to be found in one of the most prestigious and majestic palaces of the city, the Palazzo Attems Petzenstein, constructed to the designs of a very famous 18th century architect, Nicolo Pacassi, who also designed the building which is now the Town Hall.

Other notable buildings are the Palazzo Cobenzi, now the archbishop's residence and the 14th century mansion of the Rabatta counts. One of the oldest and the most luxurious palaces is that of the Lantieris, which had been the home of the counts of Gorizia and which had offered hospitality to the popes and emperors. Of the churches, the most important is certainly the baroque church of St. Ignazio, with its scenic facade. It is also worth mentioning the chathedral, the 17th century church of St. Rocco and the church of the Capuchin friars.

This geographically attractive location makes Gorizia a wonderful starting point for numerous history, country, sporting and gastronomic excursions. A short distance from the city one can set off on the Collio "wine route", a hilly area famous for its production of excellent quality wines (D.O.C.).
The Collio region is full of tourist attractions: the friendly, hospitable trattorias, where one can appreciate the delicious food of different ethnic traditions, the characteristic "private" - private houses that for a short period or time, mostly in spring, open their doors to the public thus giving the visitors an opportunity to taste their new home produced wine and enjoy their mature one, and the many village festivals called "sagre", which spread their music across this gentle landscape fron May to September.

The village of San Floriano, which snuggles beneath the castle of the same name, offers as well as beautiful views the possibility of visiting an interesting Wine Museum. The castle itself was built in the 12th century and is now the home of a notable wine producing firm, and a gastronomic centre .
Cormons is a small, delightful pre-Roman town. It is close to the park Bosco Plessiva, with its inviting wine cellars and agro-tourism (farm holidays). It offers the possibility of practising various sports and of going on long horse rides across a beautiful landscape reminiscent of the charming hills of Tuscany.

Following the twisting road, one reaches, set among the chestnut forests, vineyards and the orchards of the Collio, other villages such as Dolegna, Capriva, and Gradiscutta. Here is a perfect opportunity for a well earned rest in front of a plate of delicious cold meats, in particular prosciutto crudo (San Daniele ham) and salami, and a glass of good wine.

Gradisca dates back to prehistoric times and was probably the centre of a castelliere. It was the Venetian fortress, built on the river Isonzo towards the end of the 15th century, that made it so important. The fortress was built to ward off Turkish raids and to resist the Gorizian counts seeking to advance on their domain.
Work on its continual extension and reinforcement owed much to Leonardo da Vinci, who had been consulted by Serenissima on ways of improving methods of its defences.
But Venice used the fortress for a short period only because in 1511 the Hapsburg army captured it and in spite of the bloody "Gradiscan wars" the Serenissima was not able to reconquer it.
Elevated in 1647 to the capital of the county belonging to the Eddenbergs, Gradisca was reincorporated into the county of Gorizia when there was no surviving member of the Eddenberg family left.

From 1797 to 1813 Gradisca was forced to recognise alternate Austrian and French domination, and then the return of the Hapsburg rule in 1815. It finally became Italian in 1921. Today, the many beautiful monuments are a permanent reminder of its history. Of the old castle walls only the south, east and north sides ramain. The west side was demolished in the 1800s to make way for the development of the city centre and the laying out of a park, planted with horse-chestnut trees, which today is such a delightful feature of the town.

Gradisca is still dominated by the huge impressive castle with its defence walls, strengthened by corner towers. A century ago the castle was used by the Austrian government as a prison. It is at the moment being restored. The town, with its historic centre, has been able to retain the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere that makes a walk so enjoyable.

While taking a stroll one can admire the cathedral with its splendid 18th century facade, the Loggia dei Mercanti with its Lapidario (stone inscriptions), or visit the numerous old buildings. Particularly worthy of a visit is the Palazzo Torriani, now the Regional Art Gallery dedicated to Luigi Spazzapan, with the most complete public collection of his works of art and those of other famous artists of the region. Also not to be missed is the Casa dei Provveditori Veneti, which in its 15th century halls houses the Enoteca Regionale Permanente. Here it is possible to taste some of the best quality wines (D.O.C.) of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

A small distance from Gradisca the Isonzo Karst still bears the scars of the 29 months of war ( 1915-1918), with trenches, excavated passages and tunnels that criss cross the area well known for the battles fought there.

A point of departure for one of the itineraries that takes you across this landscape is Redipuglia, universally renowned for its cemetery where the bodies of 100,000 soldiers who fell during World War I are buried.
The majestic stairway with its 22 terraces takes you up the hill, which is close to Mount Sei Busi where many battles were fought. It symbolically represents both a powerful and perfect formation of the entire unit of 100,000 soldiers. At the top of the hill, with wonderful panoramic views. there is an observatory from which, with the help of a relief model, one can pinpoint the places linked to the historical events that caused the death of those who rest here.
The road takes you on to San Martino del Carso, a village which was completely destroyed during the war, and to Monte San Michele, an important strong point for the Austro-Hungarian army which was eventually captured by the Italians, but only after persistent violent attacks. On the Monte San Michele, as at Redipuglia, there is an interesting History Museum.

If one continues, crossing the river Isonzo, one reaches Monte Calvario and then the Sacrario di Oslavia (Oslavia cemetery) where the mortal remains of tens of thousands of soldiers fallen during the First World War, have been laid to rest. In Gorizia, a city particulary affected by the war, relics of that devastating period are collected in an underground museum housed in eleven basement rooms of the Dornburg and Tasso houses, inside the castle village.

The museum of the "Grande Guerra" (Great War), reorganised in 1990, does not wish to be a mere exhibition of arms and relics but tries to recount the war linking the exhibits with the historic places and to explain the international, national and local repercussions.

AZIENDA REGIONALE PER LA PROMOZIONE TURISTICA
UFFICIO DECENTRATO DI GORIZIA
Via A. Diaz, 16 - Tel. e Fax (0481) 533870

UFFICIO DECENTRATO DI GRADISCA D'ISONZO (GO)
Via Ciotti (Palazzo Torriani)
Tel. (0481) 99217 - Fax (0481) 99180