Chiusaforte

Probably of Celtic origins, the existing Chiusaforte was developed in Roman times and subsequently under the rule of Venice, during which the fortified structure was expanded in order to protect the town from possible Turkish invasions.

Following the decline of the Republic of Venice after the wars with the Habsburg Empire, the fortress of Chiusaforte lost strategic importance. Napoleon himself, who arrived there from the south, judged it obsolete, and it was demolished by the House of Austria.

The armored fort built later in the early 1900s downstream from the town of Villanova, in Chiusaforte, was the first (useless) barrier that the Austrian army encountered during the invasion during the First World War.

The important sights from a historical and architectural point of view are: Casa Della Mea, built according to the typical modules of Carnia architecture; the nineteenth-century Casa Fontebasso and the contemporary former Hotel Pesamosca; Casa Pesamosca and ‘Casa Zannier’, a typical noble residence, both from the eighteenth century and located in the ancient village of Campolaro, and Casa Revelant, Casa D'Olif and Casa Samoncini which are located in Villanova.

In the Raccolana Valley, there are several historical and architectural elements worthy of attention, such as the locality of Patocco, at 800 metres above sea level, with a panoramic view over the entire valley, the votive church in the locality of Raunis and the church on the slopes of the Canin mountain range (1,850 m), significantly devoted to the soldiers who have fallen in all wars.

There are numerous remains of the First World War: to the south, visible from the state road, there is the Colle Badin Fort while the Sella Nevea area has numerous traces of mule tracks, trenches, barracks and shelters along the Canin chain and the high plains of Montasio, now being restored and promoted.

The municipality of Chiusaforte extends along the Fella Valley and the small river Raccolana, runs alongside Lake Predil after the Sella Nevea pass and covers approximately 100 km2, while the altitude varies from 370 m at the valley floor to 2,753 m at the top of Jof di Montasio.

The rocks that make up the mountains of Chiusaforte are mainly composed of dolomite and limestone, which give rise to frequent karst phenomena and, consequently, to water erosion, the formation of natural cavities of over 900 metres in depth. In fact, the largest natural cavity in Italy is found here, stretching for over 100 km.

The very rich vegetation is composed of beech, silver fir, spruce, larches, hornbeams up to 1,600 m, then giving way to high-altitude meadows and rocky environments. There are also valuable plant species, such as lilies, gentians, orchids, poppies, rhododendrons and of course the edelweiss.

The fauna is also numerous, with alpine ungulates (ibex, chamois, deer, wild boar), birds of prey (eagles, owls, sparrowhawks and griffon vultures) and tetraonids (capercaillie and black grouse, partridge). In recent years, sightings of bears and lynxes has been reported. The rivers and streams are also populated, rich in trout, grayling, Arctic char and crayfish.