In Venzone.

July 21, 2023

The skies miraculously cleared soon after we arrived. We were dry, showered and refreshed for a walk around the incredible town of Venzone. Venzone was a bit of a surprise for us. We really did not have a lot of information or expectations about it, but we were certainly glad we had the opportunity to stay here for a night.

After being so amazed with this town, I did a little research. Here is a brief Cole's notes version (for those of you who are old enough to remember Cole's notes; but I never used them :P)

Venzone is a very old settlement. In fact, it is thought to be over 2000 years old and was a very important center for trade leading from the Adriatic to the inland regions of Europe; with the Tagliamento river being a main conduit for trade into the interior. And, of course, the Celts, the Romans, the Venetians and countless others have understood its importance as a strategic point for trade. And, as we all know the big brother of trade is, of course, the presence of a military to protect trade.

But, what is most impressive about Venzone is that it is known as the "City of Resilience". In 1976, a massive earthquake literally leveled the town. The residents gathered together and meticulously restored the town to its original condition. In the town, there is a museum dedicated to the documentation of this history and the images and information about the sheer scale of the destruction and the subsequent rebuild are truly incredible and inspirational. As we were having our morning coffee, we looked around at the old guys sitting at the next table and wondered about the stories they could tell about this event.

And, of course, there are Venzone's famous mummies who were found after the 1976 earthquake. There is a photo of a photo of the mummies below. I went down and saw them, but thought it disrespectful to take photos myself. Not sure if taking a photo of a poster is any better, but I somehow feel better about it. There are many theories about how the bodies were so well preserved in the ground. Some suppose that it is because of the high calcium content in the soil. Others, write about a particular fungus that prevents decomposition. Either way, it was rather startling to walk down the stairs into the crypt and find them all lying there inside plastic crates.

So, that's all I'm going to say about our afternoon in Venzone. I'll let the photos do the talking now.