Who will take the floor for this tale of a dog-walking experience in Gemona? This time the baton goes to our gentle four-footer Lampo, special correspondent for a special day!

“Woof! For those who do not know me, I am a true sheepdog and I will tell you about my dog-walking in the splendid Gemona del Friuli, in the company of fifteen other dogs and their human companions.

After we arrived in the centre beneath a clear blue sky, we immediately took the lane that leads to the castle dominating Gemona from the top of the hill, whose origins probably date back to a Celtic fortress dating from about 500 BC. There, my friend Cristiana, told us stories of sieges, noble families and princes and I immediately saw myself catapulted into the Middle Ages: the faithful companion of my knight with shining armour and of his noble steed, heroic protagonists of a thousand adventures! But then I started to worry a little... when I heard about the legend of the castle, of poor Constantine and of the beast astride a large chest that appears from the “Torate” (the western tower) amid thunder and lightning, and the story of the wandering soul... I got goosebumps all along my back!

Luckily the walk then continued without any bad encounters on the way to the magnificent gardens. From up there the view is breathtaking: you can see one of the most splendid views of the duomo and the bell tower and the natural scenery that opens before your eyes is wonderful!

The visit did not end here: we walked as far as the duomo and... grrrrr!! Woof woof!! Watch out, friends: there was a giant human looking at us from above but... after a sniff, I realised that he was a colossal statue seven metres high: his name is San Cristoforo – Saint Christopher – protector of travellers! Yes, because the duomo of Gemona (one of the most important religious medieval monuments in the region) has an unusual and beautiful façade blending Romanesque and Gothic elements: the Romanesque portal with the scene of the Last Judgement; the huge statue of San Cristoforo; the elegant Gothic Gallery of the Magi with nine statues depicting scenes from the Epiphany and the splendid central rose window (the most beautiful in Friuli Venezia Giulia: “a wonderful stone embroidery”). Sadly, the cathedral was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1976 and inside it preserves a memory of this in the unsettling angle of the columns.

I had to wait briefly outside together with my four-legged companions while my human took a quick peek inside and was particularly struck by an original baptismal font made from a Roman funeral monument, by a beautiful gilt altarpiece depicting episodes from the Old and New Testament, and by a moving Pietà of the fifteenth century.

In front of the duomo, we took a group picture together and then everyone went off for refreshment at the bar, where we four-footers were also welcomed with open arms!

Well friends, a lick from your faithful correspondent Lampo and see you next time!