Lowland castles
Strassoldo is a hamlet in the municipality of Cervignano del Friuli, in the province of Udine. It is a rare example of an
ancient, extremely well-preserved and exceptionally charming medieval village. The cradle of the Patrician family of the same name, it provided the Habsburg Empire of Austria with a long line of important officials and generals. Today, the 18th century restoration of the monumental complex is evident, divided into the
Castello di Sotto (lower castle) and the Castello di Sopra (upper castle), however, the shape of the ancient castle, used for purposes of defence and attack, can still be seen.
The Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra, like the adjacent Castello di Sotto, is nestled in the heart of the medieval village and surrounded by a centuries-old park with crystal clear spring water streams. It is a so-called “water castle” and one of the very few in Europe that still belongs to the same family that built it more than a thousand years ago: the Counts of Strassoldo. To get to the main part of the castle, you go through the Porta Cistigna gate and along the Borgo Vecchio as far as the church of San Nicolò. The complex is surrounded by a succession of buildings once used for agricultural purposes, as well as craftsmen’s houses, barns and the chancellery. A little further on, beyond a romantic rice mill, you enter the area of the Castello di Sotto. The interiors are still beautifully adorned with antique furniture and portraits of ancestors, with an atmosphere of a place where history has never been interrupted. The church of San Nicolò stands in the centre of the village of Strassoldo. It preserves, among other things, a Lombard stone cross, evidence of its antiquity. Castello di Sopra has a charmingly beautiful garden, created in the mid-18th century, where a 14th century Magnolia Passiflora gracefully dominates the surrounding space. Leaving through the Porta Cistigna, you can see an ancient 12th century mill, which was in operation for more than seven hundred years. Its old machinery is preserved inside.
Just outside the walls of the medieval village stands Villa Vitas, preserved in the heart of a centuries-old park crossed by a long avenue of magnolias that disappears into the vineyards of the estate, in the heart of
Friuli Aquileia DOC territory. The stylistic features of the villa and a document dated 1776 (describing its status in 1744) trace the date of construction to between the late 17th century and the early 18th century. In 1937, the entire property was purchased by the Commendator Romano Vitas, the great-grandfather of the current owner who chose it as the headquarters of the family-run winery. All the most famous autochthonous wines of Friuli are produced, such as Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano. All products, including grappas and sparkling wines, can be tasted and purchased in the company store.
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