San Daniele del Friuli

The small town of San Daniele del Friuli, just 15 minutes by car from Ronco Margherita, is on top of a hill at 252 m. S.l.m. and dominates the surrounding plain.

The peculiarity of this territory is its geographical position that favors the exposure both to the sea breezes of the Adriatic Sea and the mountainous ones coming from Carnia. This feature has allowed over the centuries to develop the art of making ham, giving this product a unique and unmistakable taste, known all over the world.

Not far from the hill, the clear waters of the Tagliamento River are the natural habitat of trout “the queen of San Daniele”, which is breeding and craftsmanship.

The 1976 earthquake caused the country less damage than other neighboring municipalities, so medieval buildings are almost original. Of particular value, we recommend visiting the Guarnerian Library, one of the oldest in Italy. It was founded in 1466 by Guarnerio d’Artegna, who gave to the church of S. Michele 173 manuscript codes. The collection also includes numerous miniature works including a rare edition of the Dante’s Hell of the fourteenth century, the Levantine Bible whose miniatures constitute an interesting mix between Western elements and Levantines and numerous printed editions of the sixteenth century, a gift from Archbishop Giusto Fontanini to his city. Another pearl to be missed is the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate, famous for its marvelous frescoes, realized between 1497 and 1522 by Martino da Udine, better known as Pilgrim by San Daniele, to the point of being known as ” The Sistine of Friuli “. In front of the Church there is a public park that offers a panoramic view of the morainic hills. A great observation point is the stone belvedere, obtained from the ruins of one of the old watchtowers, which in the fifteenth century dominated the eastern part of the castle garden. Also worthy of note are the Duomo di San Michele Arcangelo, the Gemona Gate designed by Andrea Palladio in 1579 in a tower witnessing the ancient medieval castle and a house dating back to 1300 and remained intact for centuries.

Every summer, on the last weekend of June, the ancient medieval prosciutto festival is revived, now transformed into an international festival of cultural, gastronomic and tourist character. The “Holiday Air” event lasts 4 days and usually takes place from Friday to Monday.