Gemona del Friuli
Encyclopedia
Gemona del Friuli is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Udine
in the Italian
region Friuli-Venezia Giulia
, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste
and about 25 km northwest of Udine
.
The municipality of Gemona del Friuli contains the frazioni
(subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Campagnola, Campolessi, Maniaglia, Ospedaletto, Godo, Centro Storico, Stalis, Taviele, and Taboga.
Gemona del Friuli borders the following municipalities: Artegna
, Bordano
, Buja
, Lusevera
, Montenars
, Osoppo
, Trasaghis
, Venzone
.
The area was subject to various invasions in the period 166-750, including Huns
, Marcomanni
, Ostrogoths, Visigoths and Lombards
, who had it as a stronghold from about 558. Lombard historian Paul the Deacon
mentions it in 611 as an "impregnable castle". From the fall of the Lombard Kingdom of Italy until 952 Gemona was under Carolingian
rulers. During this period the castle was built, the modern town growing around it.
From 776, Gemona became an important part of the Patriarchate of Aquileia
. In the 12th century Gemona was an autonomous commune
: in 1184 the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted a charter for the town's market. In the 13th and 14th century it returned to the Patriarchate, until, in 1420, that state was absorbed by the Republic of Venice
.
In 1797 French troops under Napoleon defeated the Venetian Republic: in 1798, after the Treaty of Campoformio, Gemona came under Austrian rule. Following a plebiscite in 1866, Gemona became part of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.
The present town is medieval in origin but was badly damaged in the 1976 Friuli earthquake
. Restoration began the same year, and now the town has been largely restored. The castle is currently under reconstruction.
, Austria Laakirchen
, Austria Foligno
, Italy, since 2001
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Udine
Province of Udine
The Province of Udine is a province in the autonomous Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, bordering Austria and Slovenia. Its capital is the city of Udine....
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
and about 25 km northwest of Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
.
The municipality of Gemona del Friuli contains the frazioni
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
(subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Campagnola, Campolessi, Maniaglia, Ospedaletto, Godo, Centro Storico, Stalis, Taviele, and Taboga.
Gemona del Friuli borders the following municipalities: Artegna
Artegna
Artegna is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km northwest of Udine...
, Bordano
Bordano
Bordano is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste and about 30 km northwest of Udine, on the right bank of the Tagliamento river....
, Buja
Buja
Buja is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km northwest of Udine...
, Lusevera
Lusevera
Lusevera is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km north of Udine, on the border with Slovenia. , it had a population of 767 and an area of 52.9 km²...
, Montenars
Montenars
Montenars is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km north of Udine. , it had a population of 554 and an area of 20.6 km²...
, Osoppo
Osoppo
Osoppo is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste and about 25 km northwest of Udine...
, Trasaghis
Trasaghis
Trasaghis is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste and about 25 km northwest of Udine...
, Venzone
Venzone
thumb|250px|The Communal Palace.Venzone is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste and about 30 km north of Udine.-History:...
.
History
Evidence of human occupation in Gemona goes back to prehistoric times. The town occupies a key point on the road from Italy to Austria, and there are traces of Celtic occupation around the year 500 BC.The area was subject to various invasions in the period 166-750, including Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
, Marcomanni
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Buri, Suebi or Suevi.-Origin:Scholars believe their name derives possibly from Proto-Germanic forms of "march" and "men"....
, Ostrogoths, Visigoths and Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
, who had it as a stronghold from about 558. Lombard historian Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon , also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred, Barnefridus and Cassinensis, , was a Benedictine monk and historian of the Lombards.-Life:...
mentions it in 611 as an "impregnable castle". From the fall of the Lombard Kingdom of Italy until 952 Gemona was under Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
rulers. During this period the castle was built, the modern town growing around it.
From 776, Gemona became an important part of the Patriarchate of Aquileia
Patriarchate of Aquileia
The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an early center of Christianity, an historical state and catholic episcopal see, and today a catholic titular see in northeastern Italy, centred on the ancient city of Aquileia situated at the head of the Adriatic, on what is now the Italian sea-coast, at the...
. In the 12th century Gemona was an autonomous commune
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
: in 1184 the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted a charter for the town's market. In the 13th and 14th century it returned to the Patriarchate, until, in 1420, that state was absorbed by the Republic of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
In 1797 French troops under Napoleon defeated the Venetian Republic: in 1798, after the Treaty of Campoformio, Gemona came under Austrian rule. Following a plebiscite in 1866, Gemona became part of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.
The present town is medieval in origin but was badly damaged in the 1976 Friuli earthquake
1976 Friuli earthquake
The 1976 Friuli earthquake took place in the Friuli region in northeast Italy on Thursday, May 6, 1976. Measuring 6.4 on the Richter Scale, the quake, centered on the town of Gemona del Friuli, killed 989 people, 2400 injured and left 157,000 homeless. It is known in Italy as Terremoto del Friuli...
. Restoration began the same year, and now the town has been largely restored. The castle is currently under reconstruction.
Main sights
Gemona's main attraction is its medieval cathedral (Duomo), dating to the 14th century. It has a massive bell tower of the same period.Twin towns
Velden am Wörther SeeVelden am Wörther See
Velden am Wörthersee is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Situated at the western shore of the Wörthersee lake it is one of the most popular holiday resorts of Austria....
, Austria Laakirchen
Laakirchen
Laakirchen is a municipality in the district of Gmunden in Upper Austria, Austria....
, Austria Foligno
Foligno
Foligno is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system...
, Italy, since 2001