The town's name derives from a pre-Roman word meaning "abyss". It is a municipality in the province of Udine, located near to its main Regional city and for this reason it has strongly developed in urban expansion. Originally of mainly agricultural vocation, after World War II, it became the seat of important industries and is also famous for its wine production.
The rich environment has encouraged the presence of settlements since ancient times, as evidenced by several finds in the area. There were no significant discoveries of the presence of the Roman settlements, as on the few remains the church of Santo Stefano was built, but there are important traces of the Lombards, that settled here after the raids of the Barbarians after the fall of the Roman Empire. In medieval times the local lords, chosen by the Emperor, clashed for the domain with the Patriarchs. The first evidence in which the town is documented dates back to the XIII century, a period in which the town was ceded to Lords of Treviso. The last heir of these feudal lords died in the XV century, leaving the area at the center of struggles between the Republic of Venice and the Emperor. From the late XVIII century to the second half of the next one, the whole region was submitted to the rule of Austria, until it finally was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.
Attractions:
- the Parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, which was built in the first half of the XVIII century, features a tall and narrow façade, the portal is flanked by pairs of columns and surmounted by a pediment. Inside is preserved a wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, several altars and valuable paintings and stucco works of the early XVIII century. It is flanked by a Bell Tower, tall and elegant, separated from the main structure of the church, it features a square base and a belfry interrupted by light windows and topped by a spire. It is particular due to the fact that the clock display is mounted the wrong way round;
- the Church of Santo Stefano, built on the ruins of an earlier Roman settlement, inside preserves a baptismal font, a series of frescoes and a baptistery of the XVI century;
- the Church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio;
- the Church of San Bartolomeo;
- the Church of San Giacomo;
- the Church of San Michele;
- the Castle Morpurgo destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries between the XIV and the XX. It is embellished with Art Nouveau elements and flanked by a Bell Tower of the XVII century;
- Villa Caimo-Dragoni-Danieli;
- Villa Tomasoni-Todone;
- Villa di Toppo Florio;
- Casa Linussio;
- Villa Tellini.