Friuli Venezia Giulia never ceases to amaze me with its little-known corners and points of excellence. The opportunity for me to discover new ones arose from an excursion to discover Western Friuli entitled “A Zoppola, a castle and a distillery”, realised as an event on the occasion of the photographic exhibition “Defigurazione – I tuoi occhi per vedermi” (“Defiguration - Your eyes to see me”) by the Friulian photographer Danilo De Marco in the Harry Bertoia Gallery in Pordenone.

It is about the Pagura distillery, the oldest in Friuli Venezia Giulia, founded in 1879, that I want to talk about. Here too, there is a collateral exhibition by De Marco, in a small but appealing exhibition space. The exhibition illustrates the  Sem Terra movement of Brazil, which is fighting for agrarian reform.

At the Pagura Distillery, there is the oldest working still of Friuli Venezia Giulia and certainly one of the oldest in Italy, as the owner Lindo Pagura tells us at the works built in 1904. The distillery is part of the "“Wine and Dine Route” of Friuli Venezia Giulia" and therefore, after the explanation of how the ancient distillery works, we taste a grappa with wild asparagus used as the main ingredient in an interesting aperitif, accompanied by typically Friulian snacks.

It may seem a bold combination using grappa in an aperitif, but I can assure you that it is a pleasant surprise, and was much appreciated by all my fellow adventurers. After the splendid visit, and having tasted an unusual aperitif, in the afternoon, the curator of the “Defigurazione” exhibition, professor Fulvio Dell’Agnese, awaits us in the Harry Bertoia Gallery in Pordenone.

Here he enthusiastically described how the exhibition came about, the reason for the selection of some photos on display, but above all he replied the various questions posed by his interested public. For me it is a real pleasure to enjoy the area, both with my eyes and papillae, and in Friuli Venezia Giulia all this is possible, thanks to a territory rich in art, history and, finally, good drinks as those offered by the Pagura Distillery.