Pulfero

Pulfero lies on the banks of the Natisone River: it is near the border with Slovenia and it is characterized by a beautiful natural background.

The road which crosses the border was, already in the prehistoric period, an important way that linked Friuli with the Carnia and Carinthia area. In the roman period that road became the famous Via Appia wanted by the roman consul Appio Claudio Pulcro in 143 b.C.

The Via Appia linked Aquileia and Virunum, a village near Klagenfurt, passing through Cormons, San Pietro, Pulfero, Plezzo and Tarvisio.

Through this pass many military expeditions were seen from the roman legions going towards the areas called Norico and Pannonia to Napoleon, but also many invasions passed through this point, from the Longobards to the soldiers during the defeat of Caporetto.

During the long power of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, the pass of Pulfero became an important commercial route and in 1377 the Patriarch Marquardo decided to better it.

In order to defend the road the most perfect positions on the valley were the fortifications in Grotta d'Antro and Biacis.

The Valleys of the Natisone River became in this way very important and some civil institutions were founded such as the so called Banca of Antro, an elected council for the political and legal affairs of the area.

The Valleys lost their power when the Republic of Venice began to rule the area after the Falling of the Patriarchate. Venice closed the pass of Pulfero in order to support Gemona instead of Cividale.