BOSCO ROMAGNO

It extends north of the Colle di San Biagio in the municipality of Corno di Rosazzo. The forest covers the top of the hills extending northwards and embraces three municipalities: Corno di Rosazzo, Prepotto and Cividale del Friuli. We are in the heart of the Colli Orientali del Friuli, a borderland. At the foot of Rosazzo Abbey. Territories that have seen invasions and wars since ancient times. Downstream of the forest runs the natural Judrio River where the first rifle shot of the Great War was fired at Visinale dello Judrio (commemorated by the Visinale Stele). In the Bosco Romagno area, many fossil sites can be discovered. The hills are of Eocene origin, with alternating marl and sandstone, which in these places is called Ponca.

It is located on the Cammino Celeste route, an important route that many pilgrims take to reach the Sanctuary of Mount Lussari, starting from the Basilica of Aquileia and passing through the Sanctuary of Castelmonte, also called Iter Aquileiense. It is also a wonderful destination for naturalists. The forest is composed of a rich variety of plants: Turkey oak, oak, beech, acacia and many more, and hosts many species of wildlife such as roe deer, wild boar, foxes, badgers, dormice, squirrels, etc.

From the southern entrance to the municipality of Corno di Rosazzo at Gramogliano on Mount San Biagio is one of the Giants of Memory. These are natural monumental trees, centuries-old living sculptures, witnesses to the history that is certainly worth discovering in these places. The Cerro Gigante, which is over 200 years old, has a circumference of 3.50 metres and a height of over 25 metres. It stands on the hill of San Biagio at the edge of the Costantini property, which was the home of one of the contemporary poetical figures in the Friulian language: Graziella Noacco (Manzano 1935 – Corno di Rosazzo 2015), who wrote so much about “Her Wood”.

We are in the heart of the Colli Orientali del Friuli, a borderland. At the foot of Rosazzo Abbey. Territories that have seen invasions and wars since ancient times. Downstream of the forest runs the natural Judrio River where the first rifle shot of the Great War was fired at Visinale dello Judrio (commemorated by the Visinale Stele). In the Bosco Romagno area, many fossil sites can be discovered. The hills are of Eocene origin, with alternating marl and sandstone, which in these places is called Ponca.

The main entrance is located in Spessa, in the municipality of Cividale del Friuli, where there is also a memorial stone in memory of a bloodshed occurred during the Second World War due to the fight between the partisans of the Garibaldi Brigade and those of the Osoppo Brigade. The name “Romagno” is of Lombard origin and indicated a place inhabited by free men. At the beginning of World War II, it was the site of an important powder magazine, as was the nearby Plessiva Forest, another regional nature park. As you walk through the park, sheltered by the hills, you can still see the openings where the explosives were stored. Since 1968 it has been the property of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, which has reclaimed it and turned it into an important nature conservation area with recreational purposes (it features a beautiful fitness trail and a playground for children).