Spilimbergo: history, mosaics and pleasant surprises

Nominated “Jewel of Italy 2012” along with 20 other municipalities, with its natural and historical features of great charm Spilimbergo inebriates you with sensations and takes you a long way back in time. Almost in a dream, I walk along the avenue between palaces and frescoes, from time to time stopping here and theres to listen to my special guide, an audio guide that tells me and follows me step by step in this experience. So I let my imagination go, interrupted at times by its explanations that begin to stimulate a sense of amazement and curiosity in me.

After crossing the bridge over the moat with its gardens and perfumes, I reach the Castle. It was built around the eleventh century to control one of the fords across the river Tagliamento. Today, only a few buildings of grandiose beauty remain, such as the late fourteenth-century Palazzo Dipinto with its Gothic-Renaissance triple-arched windows, the fine frescoes attributed to Andrea Bellunello and elements in stone by Pilacorte, and like the Palazzo Tadea, a construction started by Bernardino di Spilimbergo and completed after his death by his widow, Tadea di ??Spilimbergo, but these are not the only ones.

Enthusiastic about all I have already seen, I head towards the duomo of Santa Maria Maggiore whose facade is characterised by 7 rose windows: this is unique in the region, and surprising too for the story linked to the number. Within the duomo I am enveloped in a feeling of peace, and walk quietly  with the audio guide reassuring me. It describes what I see: the subdivision into three naves and the different images depicted, and then accompanies me to discover a Renaissance organ decorated with paintings and panels executed in 1525 by Pordenone, one of the greatest painters of Venetian Renaissance art. I am fascinated!

I continue my observation until, at a certain point, in one of the frescoes depicting Saint Christopher, I see an image of a woman in the water at the feet of the saint: yes I recognise her: she is the ancient female figure called “Agana”, the water fairy that local and northern European legends remember as living near rivers or  caves. According to the place, she is described as attractive or ugly, to be feared but also and above all to be respected for the great value she bears, as the root of a culture and popular tradition.

The respect and care that you breathe in the air, the images of the frescoes, the beauty of these buildings fill my eyes and mind as I rediscovering the origins of the places. I rediscover why Spilimbergo is known all over the world and start to walk the streets of the historic centre to go to the famous  Friuli Mosaicists’ School.

But I cannot help but stop to admire the Torre Orientale and Palazzo di Ercole (1304), beautiful in terms of colours and expression; then I sense the fragrances that come from within and I pop in—great decision!—before arriving at the last but not least visit.

The School Mosaicisti del Friuli or Friuli Mosaicist’s School has been active since 1922, and is a unique gallery of works that offers professional courses but also for hobbyists and can be visited by appointment. Mosaic from the superlative art of Aquileia to that of today, expressed in an incredible combination of tradition and innovation while maintaining excellence all over the world, including the “Iridescent Lightning” of the new subway station, the Temporary World Center Path Station (Ground Zero).

This is a prestigious confirmation of the school’s importance, that I find in the works displayed along the walls of the corridors of the school where they are holding classes. Mosaics with rich colours, of different themes and materials, in which tiny tesserae form works of exquisite refinement. There are so many, I don’t know where to look, and could spend hours looking at them. But the bell rings, the lesson is over and so everyone’s off home!

And now it’s time for me to retrace my steps too. I am grateful of what I have seen and heard, for all the explanations and stories of the day, and I realise I have not been able to see all the interesting places here... so many tasty diversions that slow you down! I’ll be back soon, also because at the tourist office where they gave me the audio guide they told me that I can rent a bike... nice! I can’t wait: it will be really great to pedal amidst the culture, the works, the roots of this small time with its history and popular traditions such as the ‘Agane’ and other surprises, but I will tell you about this next time... I hope to see you in Spilimbergo!