Carnia

Carnia(Friulian:CjargneorCjargna/Cjargnoin local variants,Venetian:Ciargna,German:Karnien,Slovene:Karnija) is a historical-geographic region in the northeastern Italian area ofFriuli.^[1]^[2]Its 27 municipalities all belong to theprovince of Udine,which itself is part of the autonomousFriuli-Venezia Giuliaregion.

History

The name of the region, like neighbouringCarinthiaandCarniola(and quite possibly alsoKarst), probably derives from theCarni,^[3]aCeltictribe who had lived for centuries in the fertile plains between theRhineand theDanuberivers where other Celtic peoples lived. Starting from 400 BC, the demographic growth and the pressure of the Germanic peoples, originated a migratory flood towards the south. The Carni crossed the Alps via thePlöcken Passand settled in the region which is nowadays named Carnia and in the piedmont zone of Friuli. They practiced hunting and breeding. During the hard winters the herders used to move with their cattle down to the piedmont plains. Also they were skilful iron and wood manufacturers. The Carni were headed by a king and a sacerdotal caste ofdruids.

Antiquity

The first historical date related to the arrival of the Carni is 186 BC, when some 50,000 Carni, composed of armed men, women and children descended towards the plains (in which they previously used to winter) and on a hill they founded a stable defensive settlement,Akileja.^[2]^{[additional citation(s) needed]}TheRomans,concerned by the expansion of this people, in 183 BC forced back the Carni to the mountains, they destroyed their settlement and they founded a defensive settlement at the north-east boundaries. The new settlement was namedAquileia,after the former Celtic name Akileja. The triumvirs that founded that settlement were Publius Scipio Nasica, Caius Flaminius and Lucius Manlius Acidinus.

In order to stem the Roman expansion and to acquire the fertile and more hospitable plains, the Carni tried to form alliances with theHistrian,theIapode,and theTaurisciCelts. As Rome, in turn, was more and more becoming aware of the impending danger coming from the Carni and as it wanted to accelerate its own expansion, it sent to the north-east the legions of consulMarcus Aemilius Scaurus,who finally defeated the Carni in a battle of 15 November 115 BC.

Later on, the Carni, characterised by a docile temper and who had been defeated in battle, submitted to Rome, accepting its commands and its concessions. In the course of the following centuries, the Carni and Roman customs and blood, along with the aboriginalRaeti,would get mixed and this union of deeply different cultures would slowly give rise to a new people, the Aquileiese or Friulan People. The mixing of the Latin, Celtic andRaeticlanguages would give rise to theFriulianlanguage. In the meantime Aquileia enlarged its importance. It became aMunicipiumRomanum in 90 BC; it was an important commercial and hand-craft production centre. Also it was the main port on theAdriaticsea and a garrison settlement.

Middle Ages

Upon theDecline of the Roman Empireand theMigration Period,the area was subdued by invading GermanicOstrogothsunderTheodoric the Greatand later by theLombards,who incorporated it into theDuchy of Friuli,part of theirItalian kingdom.With adjacentCarantania,Carnia was conquered byFrankishforces in the 774 campaign ofCharlemagne.The Friulian dukes, successors ofHrodgaud(d. 776), continued to rule asCarolingianvassals until the deposition of DukeBaldric of Friuliby EmperorLouis the Piousin 828, when it finally became a Carolingianmarch.In the 843Treaty of Verdun,the area south of the main chain of the Carnic Alps was attributed to the realm of EmperorLothair I( "Middle Francia"), it was inherited by his eldest son, KingLouis II of Italyin 855.

When in 888 MargraveBerengar I of Friuliwas crownedKing of Italy,he moved his residence toVeronaand established the large ItalianMarca Veronensis et Aquileiensis,comprising Friuli with Carnia, Veneto (except forVeniceitself) andTrentino.In 951 Berengar's grandson KingBerengar II of Italyhad to lay down arms against the invading forces of KingOtto I of Germany.At the 952Imperial DietofAugsburg,he had to declare himself anEast Frankishvassal, and the whole Veronese march came under the rule of the German stem duchy ofBavaria.In 976 it became part of the newly establishedDuchy of Carinthia.

Carnia and Carinthia again went separate ways, when in 1077 KingHenry IV of Germanyduring theInvestiture ControversywithPope Gregory VIIsplit off large parts of Friuli to establish thePatriarchate of Aquileiaas anImperial State.As the patriarchate was gradually conquered by theRepublic of Venice,Carnia had passed from theHoly Roman Empireto the VenetianDomini di Terrafermaby 1420.

Language

Italianis the official language. Nevertheless,Friulian,aRhaeto-Romancelanguage, is widely spoken.^[2]^[3]The GermanSouthern Bavariandialect is spoken in the linguistic enclaves ofSauris(Zahre),Paluzza-Timau (Tischlwang) andSappada(Plodn),^[3]^{[additional citation(s) needed]}as in the neighbouring regions ofVeneto(Seven Communities,Thirteen Communities) andTrentino(LusernaandMocheni Valley).

Geography

Carnia is located south of the main chain of theCarnic Alps,in the northwest of the Udine province; it is bounded to the north byAustriaand to the west by the ItalianVenetoregion. In the south it borders theProvince of Pordenoneand in the east the Canal del Ferro-Valcanale (Ferro-Valcanale outfall) separates it from the central and southern part of the Udine province. The region covers the western part of the mountainous region of the province, but not the eastern part (theJulian Alps), therefore it borders Veneto and the Austrian state ofCarinthia,but notSlovenia.The main town isTolmezzo.

Valleys

Carnia is formed of seven valleys. Through each of them runs a stream from which the valleys take their name (except for Valcalda). Each of these valleys is usually referred to as acanale(in Italian) /cjanâl(in Friulian), i.e. anoutfall,to emphasize its long and narrow shape:

Bût valley,Val Bûtor Canale di San Pietro (in Friulian:Cjanâl di Sant Pieri)^[3]
Degano valley,Val Deganoor Canale di Gorto (in Friulian:Cjanâl di Guart)^[3]
Lumiei valley,Val Lumiei(Valade dal Lumiei)
Tagliamento valley,Val Tagliamento(in Friulian:Cjanâl di SoclêforPetecarie)
Pesarina valley,Val Pesarina(in Friulian:Cjanâl Pedarç)
Chiarsò valley,Val Chiarsòor Canale di Incaroio (in Friulian:Cjanâl di Incjaroi)
Valcalda valley,Valcalda(in Friulian:ValcjaldeorCjanâl di Monai)

Each of these valleys and their homonymous streams meet in a common valley floor where the main centre of Carnia is located:Tolmezzo

Municipalities

The following are the 27 municipalities of Carnia (next to the Italian name, theFriulianone is quoted):

Comune	Inhabitants(2006)	Area(km²)	Administrative Subdivisions
Amaro(Damâr)	811	33.26	-
Ampezzo(Dimpeç)	1,089	73.61	Oltris, Voltois
Arta Terme(Darte)	2,287	52.24	Avosacco,Cabia,Cedarchis, Lovea,Piano d'Arta,Piedim, Rivalpo, Valle
Cavazzo Carnico(Cjavaç)	1,108	38.69	Cesclans, Mena, Somplago
Cercivento(Çurçuvint)	748	15.36	Cercivento di Sotto, Cercivento di Sopra
Comeglians(Comelians,loc. Comalians)	603	19.52	Calgaretto, Maranzanis, Mieli, Noiaretto, Povolaro, Runchia, Tualis
Enemonzo(Enemonç)	1,389	23.70	Colza, Esemon di Sotto, Fresis, Maiaso, Quinis, Tartinis
Forni Avoltri(For di Avoltri,loc. Fôr Davuatri)	681	80.71	Collina,Collinetta, Frassenetto, Sigilletto
Forni di Sopra(Fôr Disore)	1,087	81.16	Andrazza, Cella, Vico
Forni di Sotto(Fôr Disot)	701	93.54	Tredolo, Baselia, Vico
Lauco(Lauc)	819	34.58	Allegnidis, Avaglio, Buttea, Chiassis, Trava, Vinaio
Ovaro(Davâr)	2,126	57.88	Agrons,Cella,Chialina,Clavais,Cludinico,Entrampo,Lenzone,Liariis,Luincis,Luint,Mione,Muina,Ovasta
Paluzza(Paluce)	2,494	69.96	Casteons, Cleulis, Rivo,Timau
Paularo(Paulâr,locally Dincjaroi)	2,855	84.23	Casaso, Chiaulis, Dierico, Misincinis, Ravinis, Rio, Salino, Trelli, Villafuori, Villamezzo
Prato Carnico(Prât)	1,007	81.48	Avausa, Croce, Osais, Pesariis, Pieria, Pradumbli, Prico, Sostasio, Truia
Preone(Preon)	297	22.51	-
Ravascletto(Ravasclêt,locally Monai)	596	26.32	Salars, Zovello
Raveo(Raviei)	480	12.63	Esemon di Sopra
Rigolato(Rigulât)	579	30.47	Givigliana,Gracco, Ludaria, Magnanins, Stalis, Tors, Valpicetto, Vuezzis
Sauris(Zahre,in the local German dialect)	427	41.52	La Màina, Latéis, Sàuris di Sotto, Sàuris di Sopra, Velt
Socchieve(Soclêf)	950	65.95	Caprizzi, Dilignìdis, Feltrone, Lungis, Mediis, Nonta, Priuso, Viaso
Sutrio(Sudri)	1,393	21.06	Nojaris, Priola
Treppo Ligosullo(TrepandLiussûl)	715	35.59	Gleris, Murzalis, Siaio, Tausia, Zenodis
Verzegnis(loc. Verzegnas)	924	38.80	Chiaicis, Chiaulis, Intissans, Villa
Villa Santina(Vile)	2,234	13.00	Invillino
Zuglio(Zui)	633	8.31	Fielis, Formeaso, Sezza

Tolmezzo(Tumieç)	10,539	65.69	Cadunea, Caneva, Casanova, Cazzaso, Fusea, Illegio, Imponzo, Terzo

Total	39,705	1,221.64	124

Mountains

Carnia's mountains are composed by different geologic belts. They are made of three different types of rock:limestone,dolomiteandflint.

Carnia is spanned by the southern slope of theCarnic Alps,which extend fromPasso di Monte Croce di Comelicotosella di Camporosso,whereAlpi Giuliebegin and rise (on the Italian side) betweenFellaand the upper Isonzo rivers, and the adjacentCarnic Prealps.The north side of the Carnic ridge sets up the boundary withAustria;on the south it is delimited by the streamPontebbana,and, on the upper side ofPontebba,by the flow of the Fella. MountCoglians(m. 2780) is the highest peak of the Carnic Alps. Together with the cluster ofCreta delle Cjanevateit forms an impressive horst at the Austrian boundary. Other main peaks of Carnia are:

Mount Peralbam 2,694
Mount Cridolam 2,580
Mount Fleons m 2,507
Mount Pramaggiorem 2,479
Mount Bìveram 2,472
Mount Volaia m 2,470
Creta Foratam 2,462
Mount Sieram 2,443
Mount Tiarfin m 2,417
Mount Crostism 2,252
Creta di Timaum 2,218
Mount Serniom 2,190
Mount Tinisam 2,120

Rivers

The most important river is theTagliamento,which springs near theMauriaPass (in the municipality ofLorenzago di Cadore) at an altitude of around 1000 meters.^[3]Along its long way throughout Carnia, the Tagliamento river receives water from 6 tributaries, all coming from left with respect to it: theBût,theDegano,theLumiei,thePesarina,theChiarsò,and theMonai,which name the valleys they lie in.

Flora

Forests are large and mostly composed of fir, beech, and larch. Pastures are located mainly at high altitudes, on sunny slopes which are not suitable for agriculture.

In Carnia 2,000 vegetable species, about a thousand types ofmushrooms,and some fifty types oforchidsare grown.

Vegetation in Carnia changes with altitude. Up to the elevation of 400–500 metres stand durmast and chestnut forests and some submontane cultivation zones, but very soon thereafter they are replaced by the mountain flora, typical of the forests: beechwood, fir-wood, and pine-wood. Above 1,500 m, the arboreal vegetation becomes rather poor, and trees become more and more sparse, small and stunted up to the tree line, which in Carnia stands at 1,700 metres – the lowest of the Alpine regions Further on, only bushes and emerald-green pastures can be found.

In late spring on the highland pastures, a colourful display of wildazaleasandgentianscan be observed.^{[citation needed]}

Climate

The climate is severe, with very harsh winters and cool summers. It is characterised by strong winds and abundant precipitation. In comparison to the other areas of theAlpsin Carnia the tree line is lower by about 400–500 m. For example, while in the Western Alps the vegetation stops growing above 2,300 m, in Carnia this is already the case at the elevation of 1,900 metres. This lower vegetation limit is due to the thermal inversion, caused by a constant outflow of a cold wind from the north-east (the "burano" wind), which reaches the region from the Danube plains and even Siberia.

Protected areas

In Carnia the following areas have been declared as protected:

Friulian Dolomites Natural Park(Parco naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane), located inForni di Sopra
Intermunicipal Park of Carnic Hills (Parco intercomunale delle Colline Carniche), located inVilla Santina