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Grado, Friuli Venezia Giulia

Coordinates:45°40′40″N13°23′41″E/ 45.677778°N 13.394722°E/45.677778; 13.394722
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For other uses, seeGrado (disambiguation).
Grado
Comune
Comune di Grado
Coat of arms of Grado
Coat of arms
Location of Grado
Map
Grado is located in Italy
Grado
Grado
Location of Grado in Italy
Grado is located in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Grado
Grado
Grado (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
Coordinates:45°40′40″N13°23′41″E/ 45.677778°N 13.394722°E/45.677778; 13.394722
CountryItaly
RegionFriuli-Venezia Giulia
ProvinceGorizia(GO)
FrazioniBoscat, Fossalon, Pineta, Primero, Val Cavarera
Government
• MayorClaudio Kovatsch
Area
[1]
• Total114 km2(44 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (7 ft)
Population
(31-12-2019)[2]
• Total8,064
• Density71/km2(180/sq mi)
DemonymGradesi
Time zoneUTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code
34073
Dialing code0431
ISTATcode031009
Patron saintSt. Hermagoras and Fortunatus
Saint dayJuly 12
WebsiteOfficial website

Grado(Venetian:Gravo;Friulian:Grau;Slovene:Gradež;Latin:Gradus[3]) is a town andcomune(municipality) of 8,064 residents[4]in theRegional decentralization entity of Goriziain the north-easternItalianregion ofFriuli-Venezia Giulia,located on an island and adjacent peninsula of theAdriatic SeabetweenVeniceandTrieste.The territory of the municipality of Grado extends between the mouth of theIsonzoand theAdriatic Seaand theGrado Lagoon,and covers an area of about 90 square kilometers between Porto Buso and Fossalon.[5]Characteristic of the lagoon is the presence of thecasoni,which are simple houses with thatched roof used in the past by the fishermen of Grado, who remained in the lagoon for a long time, returning to the island of Grado only during the colder period of the year.[6]

Once mainly a fishing centre, today it is a popular tourist destination, known commonly asL'Isola del Sole( "The Island of the Sun" ). It is also famous because it is aspa town;from 1873 a maritime hospice for children called Ospizio Marino wanted by the doctorGiuseppe Barellaiwas established on the island, because the climate and the environment of the island are a good place for the treatment of some childhood diseases. Subsequently, Grado was the chosen destination for marine thermal treatments, especially by the Austrian population.[7]Together withMarano Lagunare,it is the centre of theMarano-Grado Lagoon,which is famous for its uncontaminated nature. Grado is the birthplace ofBiagio Marin,a poet who sang about the island in the local Venetian dialect.

History

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Interior of theBasilica of Sant'Eufemia, Grado.

In Roman times the city, known asad Aquae Gradatae,was the first port for ships entering the Natissa (Natisone), headed upstream toAquileia.

During the late years of theWestern Roman Empiremany people fled from Aquileia to Grado in order to find a safer place, more protected from the invasions coming from the east.

In 452,Nicetas, Bishop of Aquileia,took refuge briefly at Grado; of the same period is the earliest construction of Grado's first cathedral, the first church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and the baptistery. Grado was the home base of the patriarchate's fleet.

In 568, after the invasion of theLombardswho captured neighboringAquileia,metropolitanPaulinus I of Aquileiafound refuge in Grado that remained underByzantinerule. Since Aquileia remained in Lombard hands, Grado became permanent residence of Aquileian metropolitans-patriarchs, and the transfer ofAquileian seeto Grado was formalized in 579. Thus Grado became also known as theNew Aquileia.At the beginning of the 7th century, a rival patriarch was elected in the old Aquileia, and since that time two lines of Aquileian patriarchs continued throughout the middle ages, one inNew Aquileia(Grado) with jurisdiction over the Byzantine-controlled coastal regions (including theVenetian Lagoon), and the other inold Aquileia(later moved toCormons,and then toCividale), with jurisdiction over the Lombard-held interior.[8]

A long-lasting dispute over the authority of the two patriarchs ensued. In 993, the patriarch Popo of the old Aquileia conquered Grado but was unable to keep possession of it. The matter was settled only in 1027 when the pope confirmed jurisdiction of the See of new Aquileia over Grado and the Venetian province. The seat of the patriarchate was transferred from Grado toVenicein 1451 byPope Nicholas V.Reduced to a minor hamlet, Grado was sacked by theEnglish,who burned the city archives in 1810 and by theFrenchin 1812.

Grado was acquired by Austria in 1815, to which it belonged until 1918 when it was ceded to Italy after its victory in World War I.

In the Belvedere area where the land is interrupted and gives way to the lagoon, it was possible to embark to reach the island of Grado. Subsequently, there was a tourist and urban development and in 1905 a road was built in the middle of the lagoon to connect the two parts of the territory.[9][10]In 1936 Grado was definitively connected to the mainland through the construction of a swing bridge which put an end to the isolation of the island.[11]

Main sights

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Today there are frequent finds of inscriptions, sarcophagi, marble sculpture and small bronzes that once furnished its villas. The remains of one of these villas have been excavated on the islet ofGorgoin the lagoon.

Modern landmarks include:

  • TheBasilica of Sant'Eufemia(Cathedral), with the octagonal Baptistry (late 5th century). The church was once preceded by a quadri-portico,one of the columns of which is now in the centre of the Patriarch's Square. The current appearance of the church dates from the reconstruction by Fra Elia (579), with a simple hut façade and a bell tower (15th century) on the right side, which is surmounted by a statue portrayingSt. Michaeland known as theAnzolo(1462). The interior has a nave and two aisles. The main point of interest is the mosaic pavement from the 6th century, restored in 1946–48.
  • The basilica ofSanta Maria delle Grazie.Begun in the 4th to 5th centuries, it was renovated in the 6th century and restored inBaroquein 1640.
  • TheBarbana Sanctuary.It is located in a small island in the Grado Lagoon calledBarbana,which can be reached in 25 minutes by motorboat, the service is offered by the boat "Nuova Cristina" from Riva Zaccaria Gregori, Grado.[12]The original church was erected in 582 and was since rebuilt and enlarged. The current sanctuary was built inNeo-Romantic styleand houses numerous vestiges of the buildings that have succeeded each other over the centuries, including two columns that probably date back to the original church. Inside there are very different works: the main altar has a relief with the lagoon surmounted by a wooden statue guarded by an aedicule of the Madonna, a large canvas representing the union of Venetians in a brotherhood, two Venetian altars dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua (on the right) and St. Francis of Assisi (on the left). Furthermore, near the entrance to the bell tower, it is possible to see capitals and marble from the early Middle Ages.[13]

Of the ancient fortress only a tower, turned into a private residence, and parts of the walls can still be seen. Under the Town Hall are remains of the Palaeo-Christian basilica of Piazza Vittoria.

TheValle Cavanata Nature Reserveis a 327-hectare (810-acre)protected areasituated in the easternmost part of the Grado Lagoon.

Resort town

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Josef Maria Auchentaller's famous 1906art nouveauadvertisement posterSeebad Grado

Today, Grado attracts scores of tourists each year to its hotels and campgrounds. The main attractions are its two large and sandy beaches, as well as its well-preserved pedestrian-only centre, in which many shops, bars, and restaurants are located.

Grado also offers facilities for many sporting activities, including tennis, wind-surfing, and golf. Excursions by boat to theGrado Lagoonare available, where one can visit the many dozen islands inside it (likeBarbana).[14]

Twin towns

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  • Many restaurants can be found in the oldest part of the town.
    Many restaurants can be found in the oldest part of the town.
  • Basilica di Sant'Eufemia by night
    Basilica di Sant'Eufemia by night
  • The harbour
    The harbour
  • Barbana island, the Marian sanctuary
    Barbana island, the Marian sanctuary
  • Channel in Grado
    Channel in Grado

Notes

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  1. ^"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
  2. ^"Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
  3. ^Richard J.A. Talbert, ed. (2000).Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World: Map-By-Map Directory.Vol. I. Princeton, NJ and Oxford, UK: Princeton University Press. p. 276.ISBN0691049459.
  4. ^"Statistiche demografiche ISTAT".demo.istat.it.Retrieved2020-12-23.
  5. ^Ezio Marocco. Bruno Fachin Editore (ed.).Grado: guida storico artistica.Trieste. p. 54.
  6. ^Benedetti, Graziano (1994).Lagune del Friuli-Venezia Giulia: itinerari, tradizioni e antichi sapori. Alla scoperta di una natura affascinante.MAGNUS in LEGUIDE MAGNUS. p. 115.
  7. ^Touring Club Italiano (2009).Gorizia e provincia: Il Collio, la valle dell'Isonzo, Grado e la laguna, il Carso.p. 97.
  8. ^Meyendorff 1989.
  9. ^Touring Club Italiano (2009).Gorizia e provincia: Il Collio, la valle dell'Isonzo, Grado e la laguna, il Carso.p. 91.
  10. ^Italia Nostra - sezione di Udine (1990).Gli ambienti del Friuli-Venezia Giulia: LA LAGUNA.p. 97.
  11. ^Touring Club Italiano (2009).Gorizia e provincia: Il Collio, la valle dell'Isonzo, Grado e la laguna, il Carso.p. 92.
  12. ^Marocco, Ezio.Grado: guida storico artistica.Trieste: Bruno Fachin Editore. p. 58.
  13. ^Touring Club Italiano (2009).Gorizia e provincia: il Collio, la valle dell'Isonzo, Grado e la laguna, il Carso.p. 99.
  14. ^Laguna di Grado (in Italian)[permanent dead link]

Bibliography

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  • Krahwinkler, Harald (2005)."Patriarch Fortunatus of Grado and the Placitum of Riziano"(PDF).Acta Histriae.13(1): 63–78.
  • Meyendorff, John(1989).Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D.Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.
  • Nicovich, John Mark (2009)."The poverty of the Patriarchate of Grado and the Byzantine-Venetian Treaty of 1082".Mediterranean Historical Review.24(1): 1–16.
  • Benedetti, Graziano. "Lagune del Friuli-Venezia Giulia: itinerari, tradizioni & antichi sapori. Alla scoperta di una natura affascinante.", in LEGUIDE MAGNUS, 1994.
  • Bisconti F.,Temi di iconografia paleocristiana,Vatican City, 2000.
  • Bovini G., "Grado paleocristiana", inArcheologia Cristiana,Bologna 1973.
  • Farioli R., "Mosaici pavimentali dell'alto Adriatico e dell'Africa settentrionale in età bizantina", inAntichità Altoadriatiche,vo. V.paleocristiana, Ravenna 1975.
  • Farioli R.,Pavimenti musivi di Ravenna,Ravenna 1975.
  • Marocco, Ezio. "Grado: guida storico artistica", Bruno Fachin Editore - Trieste.
  • Rentetzi, Efthalia. "Un'inedita figura di pesce. Parentele stilistiche tra i mosaici pavimentali di s. Maria delle Grazie e s. Eufemia a Grado", inArtonweb. Punti di visa sull'arte.[1]
  • Rentetzi, Efthalia. "Un frammento inedito di S. Eufemia a Grado. Il pavimento musivo del Salutatorium", inArte CristianaArchived2010-04-04 at theWayback Machine,fasc.. 850 (Gennaio - Febbraio 2009), Volume XCVI, p. 51-52.

See also

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