Aviano between culture, cycling routes and Piancavallo
Accommodation in Aviano
Aviano combines historic buildings and ecclesiastical art with cycling connections to the surrounding area and the mountain landscape around Piancavallo. On sunny days, the view from Piancavallo’s highest peaks stretches to the Adriatic Sea; all around, a typically Dolomite landscape characterizes the surroundings. Thus, the townscape brings together history, frescoes and cycling connections with the landscape around Piancavallo.
File:CF-18 Aviano Italy.jpg
Photo: Service Depicted: Multi-National Command Shown: USAFE Camera Operator: SSGT JENNIFER C. WALLIS, USAF via Source, Public domain
Cycling routes between Aviano, Budoia and Piancavallo
The route from Aviano to Budoia runs almost entirely along Ciclovia FVG 3, the Ciclovia Pedemontana e del Collio.
The Salita del Giro d’Italia Aviano–Piancavallo route (P002) follows Marco Pantani’s iconic climb in the 1998 Giro d’Italia. It begins on the outskirts of Aviano and leads to Piancavallo. The two connections lead from Aviano to different destinations: one to Budoia, the other to Piancavallo.
Piancavallo offers trails for trekking and mountain biking. The town is also served by public bus routes.
Fortifications and medieval history
At Cente di Marsure, the San Lorenzo fortification is still clearly visible. Its structure consists of a double ring wall made of roughly hewn, irregularly horizontally layered stones.
Castello di Aviano dates from the first half of the 10th century. In 967, Emperor Otto I of Saxony handed it over to the Patriarch of Aquileia. Despite centuries of attacks, destruction and rebuilding, the Castello still reveals the original structure of an imposing fortification.
Aviano’s art history also includes the Church of San Gregorio in Castello d’Aviano. Its frescoes are dated to 1496. The church also contains a fresco cycle in which Gianfrancesco’s style stands out particularly clearly. In San Gregorio, the date of 1496 and the fresco cycle are thus connected with Gianfrancesco’s style.
Ecclesiastical art and historic interiors
The Pieve di S. Giuliana in Aviano contains frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries.
A larger Pieve di San Zenone was built at the same location to a design by Francesco Riccati. Near the entrance, there are stone holy water stoups from the 16th century.
Villa Policreti and industrial archaeology
The oldest central part of Villa Policreti dates from 1565. The estate includes a romantic park laid out in the 19th century, with an expansive lawn, the Grotto of Venus, a green clearing and a pond. The villa combines the oldest central part from the 16th century with a park from the 19th century on the same estate. The construction and park histories of the villa belong to different periods.
The former Giais hydroelectric power station in Aviano was built around the turn of the 20th century. It is a significant example of industrial archaeology. The former hydroelectric power station complements the medieval buildings with an industrial-historical aspect.
To the overarching travel overview: Pordenone.
