Grado
—  Comune  —
Comune di Grado
Evening in Grado lagoon
Grado Location of Grado in Italy
Coordinates: 45°40′40″N 13°23′41″E / 45.67778°N 13.39472°E / 45.67778; 13.39472
Country	Italy
Region	Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Province	Gorizia (GO)
Frazioni	Boscat, Fossalon, Pineta, Primero, Val Cavarera
Government
• Mayor	Silvana Olivotto
Area
• Total	114 km2 (44 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population (31 August 2008)
• Total	8,650
• Density	76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Demonym	Gradesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	34073
Dialing code	0431
Patron saint	St. Hermagoras and Fortunatus
Saint day	July 21
Website	Official website

Grado (Venetian: Gravo, Friulian: Grau, Slovene: Gradež) is a town and comune in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located on a peninsula of the Adriatic Sea between Venice and Trieste.

Once mainly a fishing center, today it is a popular tourist destination, known commonly as L'Isola del Sole ("The Sunny Island"), also famous because it is also a spa town; together with Marano Lagunare, it is the center of a lagoon, which is famous for its uncontaminated nature. Grado is the birthplace of Biagio Marin, a poet who sang about the island in the local Venetian dialect.

History[link]

Interior of the Basilica of Sant'Eufemia.

In Roman times the city, known as ad Aquae Gradatae, was first port for ships entering the Natissa (Natisone), headed upstream to Aquileia.

Quite close is the ancient Roman city of Aquileia; during the late years of the Western Roman Empire many people fled from Aquileia to Grado in order to find a safer place, more protected from the invasions coming from the east. In 452, Nicetas, Bishop of Aquileia, took refuge briefly at Grado; of the same period is the earliest construction of Grado's first Cathedral, the first church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and the Baptistery. Grado was the home base of the Patriarchate's fleet.

In 568, after the invasion of the Lombards, the seat of the Patriarchate of Aquileia was transferred here by the Patriarch Paulinus. After the Schism of the Three Chapters, two different Patriarchs were elected: the Patriarch of Grado exerted its jurisdiction over the Latin-origin people living in the coast and in the Venetian Lagoon, while that of Old-Aquileia, later moved to Cividale, had its jurisdiction on the mainland. A long lasting dispute over the authority of the two patriarchs ensued: in 993 the patriarch of Aquileia, Popo, conquered Grado, but was unable to keep possession of it. The matter was settled only in 1027 when the Pope declared the supremacy of the seat of Aquileia over Grado and the Venetian province.

The seat of the Patriarchate was transferred to Venice in 1451 by Pope Nicholas V. Reduced to a minor hamlet, Grado was sacked by the English in 1810 and by the French in 1812. Grado was acquired by Austria in 1815, to which it belonged until 1918, when it was returned to Italy after its victory in World War I.

Main sights[link]

Today there are frequent finds of inscriptions, sarcophagi, marble sculpture and small bronzes that once furnished its villas. The remains of one of these villas has been excavated on the islet of Gorgo in the lagoon.

Modern landmarks include:

• The Basilica of Sant'Eufemia (Cathedral), with the octagonal Baptistry (late 5th century). The church was once preceded by a quadri-portico, one of the columns of which is now in the centre of the Patriarch's Square. The current appearance of the church dates from the reconstruction by Fra Elia (579), with a simple hut façade and a bell tower (15th century) on the right side, which is surmounted by a statue portraying St. Michael and known as the Anzolo (1462). The interior has a nave and two aisles. The main point of interest is the mosaic pavement from the 6th century, restored in 1946-48.
• The basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Begun in the 4th-5th centuries, it was renovated in the 6th century and restored in Baroque in 1640.
• The Barbana Sanctuary. It is located in a small island in the Grado Lagoon. The original church was erected in 582 and was since rebuilt and enlarged.

Of the ancient fortress only a tower, turned into a private residence, and parts of the walls can still be seen. Under the Town Hall are remains of the Palaeo-Christian basilica of Piazza Vittoria.

The Valle Cavanata Nature Reserve is a 327-hectare (810-acre) protected area situated in the easternmost part of the Grado Lagoon.

Resort town[link]

Today, Grado attracts scores of tourists each year to its hotels and campgrounds. A large water park run by a municipal corporation is the main attraction, complete with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a health center offering spa treatments.

The town also boasts a well-preserved pedestrian-only center, in which many shops, bars, and restaurants are located.

Grado also offers facilities for many sporting activities, including tennis, wind-surfing, and golf. From Grado can be done excursions by boat to the Grado Lagoon, and visit the many dozen islands inside it (like Barbana).^[1]

Twin towns[link]

• Sankt Lorenzen bei Knittelfeld, Austria
• Feistritz bei Knittelfeld, Austria

Image gallery[link]

• 

  Many restaurants can be found in the oldest part of the town.

• 

  Basilica di Sant'Eufemia by night

• 

  The harbour

• 

  Barbana island, the Marian sanctuary

Bibliography[link]

• Bisconti F., Temi di iconografia paleocristiana, Vatican City, 2000.
• Bovini G., "Grado paleocristiana", in Archeologia Cristiana, Bologna 1973.
• Farioli R., "Mosaici pavimentali dell'alto Adriatico e dell'Africa settentrionale in età bizantina", in Antichità Altoadriatiche, vo. V.paleocristiana, Ravenna 1975.
• Farioli R., Pavimenti musivi di Ravenna, Ravenna 1975.
• Efthalia Rentetzi, "Un'inedita figura di pesce. Parentele stilistiche tra i mosaici pavimentali di s. Maria delle Grazie e s. Eufemia a Grado", in Artonweb. Punti di visa sull'arte. [1]
• Efthalia Rentetzi, "Un frammento inedito di S. Eufemia a Grado. Il pavimento musivo del Salutatorium", in Arte Cristiana, fasc.. 850 (Gennaio - Febbraio 2009), Volume XCVI, p. 51-52.

Notes[link]

1. ^ Laguna di Grado (in Italian)

External links[link]

• Official institutional website of City
• Official touristic website of City
• Grado Tourism, On this website you can find helpful information about the city and accommodation, restaurants, excursions, etc. in Grado.
• Tourism website
• Scuola Insieme, a local Italian language school, offers details on history, travel, and activities in and around Grado.
• Richard Stillwell, ed. Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, 1976: "Ad Aquas Gradatas (Grado), Italy"
• Information about Grado

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2010)

Friuli–Venezia Giulia
—  Autonomous region of Italy  —
Flag Coat of arms of Friuli–Venezia Giulia Coat of arms
Country	Italy
Capital	Trieste
Government
• President	Renzo Tondo (PdL)
Area
• Total	7,858 km2 (3,034 sq mi)
Population (28-02-2011)
• Total	1,235,270
• Density	160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
GDP/ Nominal	€ 36.2[1] billion (2008)
GDP per capita	€ 29,200[2] (2008)
NUTS Region	ITD
Website	www.regione.fvg.it

Friuli–Venezia Giulia^[3] is one of the 20 regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is traversed by the major transport routes between the east and west of southern Europe. It encompasses the historical-geographical region of Friuli and a small portion of the historical region of Venezia Giulia (known in English also as Julian March), each with its own distinct history, traditions and identity.

Geography[link]

Friuli–Venezia Giulia is Italy's most North-Eastern region. It covers an area of 7,858 km2 and is the fifth smallest region of the country. It borders Austria to the north and Slovenia to the east. To the south it faces the Adriatic Sea and to the west its internal border is with the Veneto region.

The region spans a wide variety of climates and landscapes from the mild Mediterranean climate in the south to Alpine continental in the north. The total area is subdivided into a 42.5% mountainous-alpine terrain in the north, 19.3% is hilly, mostly to the south-east, while the remaining 38.2% comprises the central and coastal plains.

A view of the Carnia highlands.

Morphologically the region can be subdivided into four main areas.

• The mountainous area in the north: this part of the region includes Carnia and the ending section of the Alps (Carnic Alps and Julian Alps), of which the highest peaks exceed 2,700 m above sea level (Jôf di Montasio 2,754 m.). Its landscapes are characterised by vast pine forests and pastures, mountain lakes (e.g. Sauris and Barcis) and numerous streams and small rivers descending from the mountains. The area is also known for its tourist destinations, especially during the winter season (Monte Zoncolan, Tarvisio).

• The hilly area, situated to the south of the mountains and along the central section of the border with Slovenia. The main product of agriculture in this area is wine, whose quality, especially the white, is known worldwide. The easternmost part of the hilly area is also known as Slavia Friulana, as it is mostly inhabited by ethnic Slovenes.

• The central plains are characterised by poor, arid and permeable soil. The soil has been made fertile with an extensive irrigation system and through the adoption of modern intensive farming techniques. In this part of the region most of the agricultural activities are concentrated.

• The coastal area can be further subdivided in two, western-eastern, subsections separated by the river Isonzo's estuary. To the west, the coast is shallow and sandy, with numerous tourist resorts and the lagoons of Grado and Marano Lagunare. To the east, the coastline rises into cliffs, where the Kras plateau meets the Adriatic, all the way to Trieste and Muggia on the border with Slovenia. The Carso has geological features and phenomena such as hollows, cave networks and underground rivers, which extend inland in the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia, with an altitude ranging between 300m and 600m.

Carso landscape at Doberdò.

The rivers of the region flow from the North and from Slovenia into the Adriatic. The two main rivers are the Tagliamento, which flows west-east in its upper part in the Carnic Alps and then bends into a north-south flow that separates the Julian Alps from Alpine foothills and the Isonzo (Soča slo.) which flows from Slovenia into Italy. The Timavo is an underground river that flows for 38 km from Slovenia and resurfaces near its mouth north-west of Duino.

The region Friuli–Venezia Giulia has a temperate climate. However, due to the terrain's diversity, it varies considerably from one area to another. Walled by the Alps on its northern flank, the region is exposed to air masses from the East and the West. The region receives also the southerly Scirocco from the Adriatic sea, which brings in heavy rainfall. Along the coast the climate is mild and pleasant. Trieste records the smallest temperature differences between winter and summer and between day and night. The climate is Alpine-continental in the mountainous areas, where, in some locations, the coldest winter temperatures in Italy can often be found. The Kras plateau has its own weather and climate, influenced, mostly during autumn and winter, by masses of cold air coming from the North-East. These generate a very special feature of the local climate: the north-easterly wind Bora, which blows over the Gulf of Trieste with gusts occasionally exceeding speeds of 150 km/h.

History[link]

Roman ruins in Aquileia.

In Roman times, modern Friuli-Venezia Giulia was located within Regio X Venetia et Histria of Roman Italy. The traces of its Roman origin are visible over all the territory. In fact, the city of Aquileia, founded in 181 BC, served as capital of the region and rose to prominence in the Augustan period.

Starting from the Lombard settlements (6th century), the historical paths of Friuli and Venezia Giulia begin to diverge. In 568, Cividale del Friuli (the Roman Forum Iulii (from which the name Friuli comes)) became the capital of the first Lombard dukedom in Italy. In 774, the Franks, favoured the growth of the church of Aquileia and established Cividale as a March. In 1077, Patriarchate of Aquileia was given temporal power by the Holy Roman Emperors and this power was extended temporarily even to the east. But already in the 12th century Gorizia had actually become independent and Trieste, along with other coastal towns, organized itself as a free city-state.

In the 6th century, the Alpine Slavs, ancestors of present-day Slovenes, settled the eastern areas of the region. They settled in the easternmost mountainous areas of Friuli, known as the Friulian Slavia, as well as the Kras Plateau and the area north and south from Gorizia. In the 12th and 13th century, they also moved closer to Trieste.

Miramare Castle, built by Archduke Maximilian of Austria in Trieste.

Friuli became Venetian territory in 1420, while Trieste and Gorizia remained under the Austrian Empire. Pordenone was a "corpus separatum", under Austrian influence until 1515, when it also fell under the Venetian rule. With the peace treaty of Campoformido in 1797, Venetian domination came to an end and Friuli was ceded to Austria. After the period of domination by Napoleon, which affected also Trieste and Gorizia, it again became part of the Austrian Empire and was included in the Lombard-Veneto Kingdom, while Gorizia was merged with the Illyrian Kingdom and Trieste, together with Istria, became part of the Austrian Coastal Region. The enlightened policy of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries encouraged an extraordinary economic flourishing, making Trieste the empire’s port. The fortunate outcome of the war of independence brought Friuli alone into the unified Kingdom of Italy.

After the First World War, in which this region was a main theatre of operations and suffered serious damage and loss of lives, the fates of these border lands were again united, although Venezia Giulia, in particular, was the subject of the explosion of contradictions regarding the borders.

The Second World War led to the Anglo-American Administration in Trieste until the border was fixed with the Memorandum of London in 1954^{[citation needed]}. When Trieste was reunited with Italy, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia could finally be established^{[citation needed]}.^[4] The Italian Constitution assigns it the status of Region with a Special Statute, together with four other Italian regions. However, Friuli – Venezia Giulia obtained administrative autonomy and the special statute only in 1963. The reasons for this "constitutional delay" are interwoven with the international problems^{[citation needed]} of the second postwar period and with those deriving from the region’s "diversity" – the different historical, ethnic, and linguistic components that go to make up this area. In 1975 the Treaty of Osimo was signed in Osimo, definitively dividing the former Free Territory of Trieste between Italy and Yugoslavia^{[citation needed]}.

Cuisine[link]

Friuli-Venezia Giulia is famous for its mixtures of dishes stemming from both Friulani and Giuliani traditions. With influences from key cities such as Udine, Trieste and Venice. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is also known for its fine wine, its cured San Daniele ham and its Montasio cheese.

Famous dishes include:

• Prosciutto crudo di San Daniele(dry-cured ham in San Daniele del Friuli)
• Fillets of smoked trout in Carnia and in San Daniele del Friuli
• Speck affumicato di Sauris(smoked speck of Sauris)
• Pitina or peta or petuccia (game meat chopped and mixed with salt, pepper, fennel or other herbs, then pressed and then smoked, in the Valtramontina and the Valcellina pordenonese valleys)
• Frico (Montasio cheese or other, cooked slowly to which other ingredients, such as potatoes or onions, can be added)
• Baccalà alla friulana, alla triestina (stockfish or dried unsalted cod , in Friuli and in Trieste)
• Granzevola alla triestina ( similar to a stuffed crab recipe in Trieste )
• Marinated sardines in Trieste
• BrovadeBrovada e muset (musetto) ( marc turnips and boiled sausage, in Friuli)
• [[Jota or Iota(istrian stew), triestina, goriziana, friulana( soup made with beans, potatoes ans sauerkraut, in Trieste, in Gorizia and in Friuli)
• Zuppa di canochie ( squill soup)
• Scampi alla busara ( in a tasty tomato sauce)
• Seppie in umido (cuttle-fish in a sauce)
• Cevapcici goriziani, resiani (little minced sausages, lamb or beef, a type of kebab, in Gorizia and the Valresia valley)
• Cjalzons , dolci o salati , (agnolotti della Carnia)= ravioli garnished with melted butter, filled with ricotta, mixed with spices, sultanas, dried fruit, chocolate, up to a possible 30 ingredients
• Mlinzi or mlinci (shards of standard , home-made pasta sheets that are dried out in the oven before cooking normally)
• Struki (sweet fresh pasta made with wheat flavour and potatoes, stuffed with raisins, wallnuts, pine nuts, butter, breadcrumps, sugar, cooked in boiling water and served with melted butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon)
• Crafut or Crafus(small meatballs using the guts of ground pork)
• Crostoli or Crostui Angel Wings (fried pastry strips)
• Krapfen or krafen ( dough nuts made from sweet yeast dough fried in fat or oil, with a marmelade or jam filling and usually icing, powdered sugar or conventional sugar on top)
• Cuguluf ( similar to panettone, but conical in shape, prepared with butter cocoa, raisins and lemon rind))
• Palatschinken or palatcincke (pancakes filled with apricot jam or chocolate sauce)
• Castagnole di Sacile
• Coch (sweet pudding)
• Gubana goriziana, friulana (roll of dough stuffed with dried fruit wrapped spiral, in Gorizia, in Cividale del Friuli and the Natisone valleys)
• Presnitz(rich and smooth filling of dried fruit, rolled up in a layer of puff pastry circular spiral)
• Buiadnik resiana (mixture of wheat flavour and corn, cream, baked apples and nuts, fenned seeds, cinnamon, in the Resia valley)
• Colaz (donut-shapped cake made of wheat flavour, butter and sugar)
• Sacher Trieste (chocolate cake in Trieste)
• Pinza Trieste, Gorizia(bread leavened cake, soft and aromatic, in Trieste and in Gorizia)
• Putizza Trieste (Trieste typical sweet, with rich walnut filling, marsala wine, raisins, pine nuts, chocolate chips and cocoa)
• Strucchi (sweet pastry, stuffed with dried fruit, pine nuts and sugar, fried in hot oil)
• Strudel or struccoli ( pastry made of layers of phyllo and butter to brush around a filling to form a cylinder that will be browned in the oven.The lining is usually composed of a mixture of chopped apples along with dried fruit : raisins, almonds,etc...)
• Cueste ( coast pork roll, in Friuli)
• Frittole (Pastry) or fritule or fritulas (pancakes with raisins or apples)
• Polenta white and yellow
• Bisna (polenta, beans and sauerkraut)
• Suf or zuf or meste (cream of wheat flavour and corn topped with butter)
• Toc in braide (soft polenta on which a sauce is poured, made with grated smoked ricotta, milk and butter, which can be added mushrooms and pine nuts)
• Soup of bobici (corn, beans and potatoes)
• Brodo , brodetto, boreto ( various seafood soups)
• Radi, Radicchio canary, rose of Gorizia, Trieste chicory blonde, radic di mont, lidric cul poc
• Rusclin (wild asparagus)
• Filon (meat obtained from the loin of the pig)
• Pindulis (slices of beef cattle sheep or goat adult, degreased and cleaned and dried spices)
• Sbarbôt (spicy pork cheeks, in Friuli)
• Gnocchi agli spinaci, agli asparagi (dumplings, spinachs, asparagus)
• Gnocchi di pane, Pistum ( dumplings, cheese, eggs, sugar, butter, raisins, pine nuts and candied citrus peel, in Friuli), Gnocchi di prugne(dumplings, plum), Gnocchi di zucca(dumplings, pumpkin)
• Cjalcune resiana ( large dumplings stuffed with potatoes and herbs ,in the Resia Valley)
• Goulash triestino, goriziano, friulano (in Trieste, in Gorizia and in Friuli)
• Kaiserfleisch goriziano, triestino (smoked pork, sprinkled with grated horseradish and served with sauerkraut, in Gorizia and in Trieste)
• Patate in tecia (potatoes sautéed with onion)
• Risotti
• Riso e fasoi alla friulana (rice and beans broth ,in Friuli)
• Kipfel (small fried crescents made with a kind of potato dumpling dough)
• Klotznudl di Sauris (dumplings with smoked ricotta and pears, in Sauris)
• Knödel con speck di Sauris( dumplings with Sauris speck)
• Goose products
• Linguâl (dough sausage packed into the center of the dough with a large tongue of the whole pig)
• Lujagne (mixed smoked pork sausages)
• Friulan peperonata ( sautéed bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants , with onions, basil, parsley and garlic, and served with grated Montasio cheese)
• Paparôt ( friulan soup of polenta and spinachs)
• Cavucin (friulan soup of pumpkin)
• Pestadice (sausage made from the paste of the common salami to which they are mixed, in a variable quantity, pork greaves)
• Pestât (sausage composed of all the scents of the garden, which are mixed after the fat in the thoracic region of ground pork)
• Zasaka (lard and bacon spiced, ground and stored in glass jars)
• Porzina or porcina triestina, goriziana (boiled pork in Trieste and in Gorizia)
• Schulta fumât (bone shoulder of pork rind and the fat of the private surface more or less seasoned, in Carnia)
• Sauc or bondiola (mixture of meat stuffed spherical in shape, in the dough of which the usual mixture of meat and rind are added to the sausage muscoletti pork and bits of languages, in Friuli)
• Sottacetti (pickles)
• Sottoli (in oil)

Famous wine include:

• Picolit
• Friulano
• Ramandolo
• Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso
• Schiopettino
• Terrano
• Moscato friulano
• Verduzzo friulano
• Prosecco friulano
• Spumante
• Frizzante

Famous spirits include:

• Grappa friulana
• Grappa Triestino
• Sgnapa friulana
• Pear brandy
• Slivovitz, plum brandy

Famous beer include:

• Agribeer or Birra Zahre in Sauris
• Beer Resiutta
• Castello Beer di Udine

Economy[link]

The economy of Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the most developed in the country. Its core is based on small- and middle-size enterprises (the so-called 'North-East model'), on specialized farming and on high-quality tourism with a significant inclination towards exports.^[5]

Agriculture and farming maintain an essential role in the economy of the region and employed in 2001 around 95,000 persons. Its high quality products are exported not only within the country and Europe (fruit and vegetable, cheese) but have become known worldwide for their quality (cured ham and wines, especially white ones). Noteworthy is also the production of soy (third producer in Italy with more than 37,000 hectares cultivated in 2000) and timber production in Carnia.^[5]

As mentioned above, the economy of the region is based on a widespread mosaic of small and medium-size enterprises; of particular importance are the four industrial districts where a multitude of such highly specialised enterprises are concentrated. These districts are centred around the towns of Manzano, San Daniele del Friuli (cured ham), Maniago (knives) and Brugnera (furniture). A number of large enterprises are also present in the region in both the industry and services sector. Some of these companies are world-leaders in their relevant sectors; such are Fincantieri (based in Trieste and in Monfalcone) for the construction of the world's largest cruise ships, Zanussi-Electrolux (Pordenone) in the production of electrical appliances and Assicurazioni Generali in Trieste, one of the leading insurance companies in the world.^[5]

Again, in the services sector the city of Trieste plays a leading role (with knock-on effects on the other provincial capitals); it is in fact here that activities such as the regional government, large banking and insurance companies are concentrated. With its commercial Free Port, Trieste also plays an essential role in the trade sector: special custom regulations ensure exclusive financial conditions to operators. The Port of Trieste is today the most important centre worldwide for the trade of coffee and plays a strategic key role in trade with northern and eastern Europe-^[5]

The port of Trieste.

Although small in size, Friuli–Venezia Giulia has always been 'in the centre of Europe' and has played an important role in connecting Italy (and the Mediterranean) to Central and Eastern Europe. Its role will become even more strategic as a logistical platform with the imminent enlargement of the European Union. Hence the importance of the infrastructure network of the region, which can today be considered first rate in quality and diversity. The motorway network consists of more than 200 km that run from North to South and from West to East, perfectly connecting the region to Austria and Slovenia. The railway network consists of around 500 km of track, with the two twin-line 'backbones' Venice-Trieste and Trieste-Udine-Tarvisio-Austria. The motorway and railway networks are linked to the ports of Trieste, Monfalcone and Porto Nogaro, the three most northerly ports of the Mediterranean. Trieste, in particular, has a free port for goods since 1719. It is the Italian port with the greatest capacity for covered storage, with a surface area of more than 2 million square meters and 70 km of rail tracks. Intermodality is guaranteed by the [Cervignano] terminal, in operation since 1988, to serve the increasing commercial traffic between Italy and Eastern European countries. Lastly, the regional airport of Ronchi dei Legionari is situated 30 km from Trieste and 40 km from Udine and is closely connected to the motorway and railway networks. The airport offers regular national and international flights including destinations in Eastern Europe. The region is now placing much of its hopes for future economic development in the construction of a high speed European Transport Corridor n° V connecting Lion, Turin, Venice, Trieste, Ljubljana, Budapest and Kiev, so as to improve the traffic of goods and services with new EU partners.^[5]

Demographics[link]

Population density is lower than the national average: In 1978 there were in total only 1'2245'611 inhabitants;^[6] in 2008 it was in fact equal to 157.5 inhabitants per km² (compared to 198.8 for Italy as a whole). However, density varies from a minimum of 106 inhabitants per km² in the province of Udine to a maximum of 1,144 inhabitants per km² in the province of Trieste. The negative natural balance in the region is partly made up by the positive net migration. To some extent the migratory surplus has in fact offset the downward trend in the population since 1975. In 2008, the resident population with foreign nationality registered in the region accounted to 83,306 persons (6.7% of the total population).

Language[link]

Friulian language is spoken in most of the region — with a few exceptions, most notably Trieste and the area around Monfalcone and Grado, where a version of the Venetian language and Triestine dialect is spoken instead. Friulian is more predominant in the countryside, while in the larger towns (Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia), standard Italian and Venetian is more common.

In the provinces of Udine, Gorizia and Trieste, a number of Slovene dialects is spoken along the border with Slovenia. Slovene is especially present in the mountainous areas of eastern Friuli, in the area known as Venetian Slovenia (which comprises the Resia Valley and in the upper valleys of the rivers Torre and Natisone), in the villages north and south of Gorizia and on the Carso plateau around Trieste. A small Carinthian Slovene community also exists in the Val Canale on the border with Austria, in the municipalities of Malborghetto Valbruna and Tarvisio. In the Province of Udine, Slovene has only been officially recognized as a minority language since 2001, and there are few bilingual public schools, mostly located in the southern area, close to the Province of Gorizia. In the provinces of Gorizia and Trieste, on the other hand, Slovene has enjoyed minority protection rights since the mid 1940s, including a widespread network of Slovene language schools and cultural associations. In the Province of Udine, most Slovene speakers live in a diglossic situation, with a knowledge of the local Slovene dialect and standard Italian, but with a poor knowledge of standard Slovene. In the Provinces of Trieste and Gorizia, on the other hand, the knowledge of standard Slovene is much more common, and in some areas it is predominant over the use of dialects. Estimates on the Slovenes in the region vary greatly, from 52,000 up to 183,000.^[7][8] Most probably, the actual number of Slovene speakers is somewhere between 70,000 and 85,000, that is between 5,5% and 7% of the region's population.^[9][10]

The number of native German speakers in Friuli–Venezia Giulia is estimated to be around 2,000. They live in the Val Canale (municipalities of Tarvisio, Malborghetto Valbruna and Pontebba), which is adjacent to Austria, and in the municipality of Sauris and the frazione of Timau (Tischlbong in the local Germanic language) (municipality of Paluzza), which each form a language exclave.

Government and politics[link]

PdL gained 53.8% of Friuli–Venezia Giulia's votes at the Italian general election in 2008. The region's local government, led by President Renzo Tondo, is center-right.

Administrative divisions[link]

Friuli–Venezia Giulia is divided into four provinces:

Notable residents or natives[link]

• St. Chromatius of Aquileia, (died 407) bishop of Aquileia, theologian
• Rufinus of Aquileia, (340/5-410) priest, translator
• Saint Paulinus II, (c. 750–802), Patriarch of Aquileia, theologian
• Bertrand of Aquileia, (1258–1350) Patriarch of Aquileia
• St. Odoric of Pordenone, (1286–1331) Franciscan priest, traveler to China and East Asia
• Poppo of Treffen, (died 1045) Patriarch of Aquileia
• Ermes di Colorêt (16th century)
• Simone Padoin football player, Juventus.
• Ludovico Manin, last Doge of Venice
• Ermenegildo Florit, (1901–1985) archbishop of Florence, cardinal
• Ernesto Illy, Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Industry 1994), Chairman illycaffè S.p.A.
• Andrea (1964-) and Riccardo (1955-) Illy, Chairmen
• The industrialists Ottavio Missoni (1921-), Giannola Nonino, Rino Snaidero (1946-), Luigi Danieli, Sante Ferroli, Armando Cimolai, Giampaolo Pozzo (1941-)
• Carlo Rubia (1934-), scientist
• Pierre(Pietro) Savorgnan de(di) Brazzà (1852-1905), french explorer
• Tina Modotti (1896-1942), photographer and politician
• David Maria Turuldo (1916-1992), poet
• Dino Zoff (1942-), football goalkeeper Italy, Juventus.
• Enzo Bearzot (1927-2010), footballer and football manager
• Fulvio Collovati (1957-), football coach and player
• Cesare Maldini (1932-), former AC Milan captain, Italian football team manager.
• Vladimir Bartol, writer.
• Leo Castelli, art dealer.
• Avgust Černigoj, painter.
• Tiberio Mitri, boxer, born in Trieste
• Max Fabiani, architect.
• Tarcisio Burgnich (1939-), footballer.
• Arturo Malignani, inventor of the incandescent light bulb.
• Luca Turilli, Musician, Rhapsody of Fire neoclassical guitarist and composer.
• Claudio Magris (1939-), writer.
• Pietro Zorutti (1792-1867), poet
• Pier Paolo Pasolini (1923-1975), poet and film director
• Giorgio Strehler (1921-1997), stage actor and director
• Novella Cantarutti, poet
• Mauro Corona (1950-), writer
• Biagio Marin (1891-1985), poet
• Scipio Stalaper (1888-1915), writer
• Carlo Sgorlon (1930-2010), writer
• Fulvio Tomizza (1935-1999), writer
• Paulo Maurensig (1943-), writer
• Susanna Tamaro (1957-), writer
• Tullio Avoledo (1957-), writer
• Mauro Covacich (1963-), writer
• Leonardo Zanier (1935-),writer
• Gian Mario Villalta (1959-), writer
• Amedeo Giacomini (1939-2006), poet and writer
• Sergio Maldini (1923-1998), writer
• Pier Antonio Bellina (1941-2007), writer
• Demetrio Volcic (1931-), writer and politician
• Boris Pahor, writer.
• Umberto Saba (1883-1957), poet.
• Italo Svevo (1861-1928), writer.
• Carlo Michelstaedter, philosopher.
• Fabio Capello (1946-), football manager and player.
• Mario Agante, poet
• Dante Spinotti, cinematographer, LA Confidential and Last of the Mohicans
• James Joyce (1882-1941), 20th century Irish novelist, began work on Ulysses while living in Trieste
• Emilio Ambrosini, architect
• Gae Aulenti (1927-), architect
• Franca Batich, Italian painter
• Leo Castelli, art dealer
• Tullio Crali, Futurist painter
• Avgust Černigoj, Slovene painter
• Franko Luin, Swedish-Slovene graphic designer
• Francesco Tullio Altan (1942-), graphic designer
• Michael Manfredi, architect partner of Marion Weiss in New York–based Weiss/Manfredi
• Marcello Mascherini, sculptor and painter
• Nino Perizzi, painter
• Boris Podrecca, architect
• Miela Reina, painter
• Ernesto Nathan Rogers, architect
• Ivan Rendić, Croatian sculptor
• Viktor Sulčič, Argentine Slovene architect (born in the suburb of Santa Croce/Križ)
• Lojze Spacal (Luigi Spazzal), modernist painter
• Jožef Tominc, Biedermeier painter
• Miranda Caharija, Slovenian stage and film actress
• Piero Cappuccilli, Italian operatic baritone
• Antonio Bibalo, Italian pianist and composer
• George Dolenz, actor and father of Micky Dolenz of the Monkees
• Alfred Jaëll, Austrian pianist
• Tullio Kezich, actor, playwright, and screenplayer
• Minu Kjuder, Slovenian stage actress
• Elvira Kralj, Slovenian stage actress
• Boris Kobal, Slovenian stage director, satirist and comedian
• Lidija Kozlovič, Slovenian stage and film actress
• Paolo Longo, composer and conductor
• Claudio Cojaniz (1952-), pianist
• Alessandro Lotta, former bassist of the bands Rhapsody of Fire and Wingdom
• Lelio Luttazzi (1923-2010), musician and showman
• Mauro Maur, Italian trumpet player and composer
• Alexander Moissi, Austrian stage actor of Albanian descent
• Denis Novato, Slovene musician
• Lorenzo Pilat, singer-songwriter
• Alberto Randegger, composer
• Enrico Rava, jazz trumpeter
• Teddy Reno, singer
• Rudy Fantin (1975-), jazz pianist
• Luigi Maieron (1954-), singer
• Lino Straulino (1961-), singer
• Dario Zampa (1946-), singer
• Glauco Venier (1962-), pianist
• Giulio Venier, musician and singer
• Nevio Zaninotto (1959-), jazz pianist
• Victor de Sabata, conductor
• Mila Sardoč, Slovenian film actress
• Dalida di Lazzaro (1953-), film actress
• Carla Gravina (1941-), film actress
• Laura Solari Camaur (1913-1984), film actress
• Alex Staropoli, keyboardist of the band Rhapsody of Fire
• Elisa Toffoli (1977-), nationally renowned singer/songwriter, pianist, and guitarist
• Luca Turilli, guitarist of the band Rhapsody of Fire
• Ivan Rassimov, Italian actor of Serbian descent
• Rada Rassimov, Italian actor of Serbian descent
• Nino Benvenuti (1938-)
• Primo Carnera (1906-1967), boxer
• Biaggio Chianese, Italian boxer
• Emilio Comici, climber, an early pioneer of the sport.
• Claudia Coslovich, athlete
• Fabio Cudicini, football player (goalkeeper)
• Ardito Desio (1897-2001)
• Manuela di Centa (1963-)
• Giorgio Ferrini, football player
• Livio Franceschini, basketball player
• Sandro Gamba, basketball coach and player
• Matteo Gladig, Italian chess master
• Margherita Granbassi, Italian foil fencer
• Duilio Loi, boxer
• Giovanni Martinolich, Italian chess master
• Giorgio Oberweger, athlete
• Edi Orioli (1962-)
• Gianluca Pessotto (1970-)
• Bruno Pizzul (1938-)
• Nicola Princivalli, football player
• Carlo Rigotti, football player
• Nereo Rocco, football legend
• Tanja Romano, world champion artistic roller skater
• Cesare Rubini, water polo player
• Giovanni Steffè, rower
• Max Tonetto, football player
• Ferruccio Valcareggi, football player and coach
• Renzo Vecchiato, basketball player
• Elio De Anna, international and ITA national rugby player
• Alessandro Zanni, international and ITA national rugby player
• Angelo Cecchelin, (1894–1964) comedic actor

Surnames[link]

Twenty most common surnames in the Friuli–Venezia Giulia region.

References[link]

Gallery[link]

• 

  Piazza San Giacomo in Udine

• 

  The Miramare Castle in Trieste

• 

  The Beach in Lignano Sabbiadoro

• Devil's Bridge Cividale.jpg

  The Devil's Bridge in Cividale del Friuli

• 

  Terrazza Mare in Lignano Sabbiadoro

External links[link]

• Official site of the Autonomous Region of Friuli–Venezia Giulia (Italian), (Friulan), (Slovene), (German), (English)
• Official site of the Autonomous Region of Friuli–Venezia Giulia (German) (Slovene) (Friulian)
• fvg.INFO (Italian), (English), (German)
• Map of Friuli–Venezia Giulia
• "The official Website for tourism of Friuli–Venezia Giulia. Welcome". Friuli–Venezia Giulia. http://www.turismofvg.it/en-US/homen.html.  (Italian), (English), (German)
• Airport of Friuli–Venezia Giulia (Italian), (English), (Slovene)
• "meteo.fvg: Regione Autonoma Friuli–Venezia Giulia". OSMER: Osservatorio Meteorologico Regionale. http://www.osmer.fvg.it/~www/EN/HOME/index.php.  (Italian), (Friulan), (Slovene), (German), (English)
• Gastronomy & Products (http://friulidigusto.it/enogastronomia-prodotti) (Italian), (English)

v t e Friuli – Venezia Giulia Provinces and places Gorizia Pordenone Trieste Udine Politics and government Elections in Friuli-Venezia Giulia List of Presidents of Friuli-Venezia Giulia

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Beppe Grillo
Leader of the Five Star Movement
Incumbent
Assumed office October 4, 2009
Personal details
Born	(1948-07-21) 21 July 1948 (age 63) Genoa, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Political party	Five Star Movement
Relations	Married
Children	6
Occupation	Comedian, Activist, Politician
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Website	http://www.beppegrillo.it/

Giuseppe Piero Grillo, better known as Beppe Grillo (born 21 July 1948), is an Italian activist, blogger, comedian and actor. He has been involved in politics since 2009 as leader of the Five Star Movement.

Biography[link]

Grillo was born in Genoa, Liguria.

After receiving his degree as an accountant, Grillo became a comedian by chance, improvising a monologue in an audition. Two weeks later he was discovered and launched by Italian TV presenter Pippo Baudo. He subsequently participated in the variety show Secondo Voi for two years (1977–78). Later, in 1979, he participated in Luna Park by Enzo Trapani, and Fantastico.

In the 1980s his success rose further, thanks to shows like Te la do io l'America (1982, 4 episodes) and Te lo do io il Brasile (1984, six episodes). In these shows, he narrated his experiences of his visits to the United States and Brazil, with anecdotes and witticisms about the culture, lifestyle and beauty of these places.

As a result, his popularity grew more and more, and he became the protagonist of another show developed especially for him, called Grillometro (Grillometer). In 1986, he was the star of prize-winning advertisements for a brand of yogurt.

Soon after this, his performances began to be characterized by an increasing level of political satire, often expressed in such a direct way that he quickly offended a lot of Italian politicians. In 1987 during the Saturday night TV show Fantastico 7, he attacked the Italian Socialist Party and its leader Bettino Craxi, then Italy's Prime Minister, on the occasion of his visit in the People's Republic of China. Grillo said:

If the Chinese are all socialists, whom do they steal from?

The joke hinted at the totalitarianism of the PRC, but even more to the widespread corruption for which the Italian Socialist Party was known. As a consequence, Grillo was effectively and silently banished from publicly owned television; yet, he was vindicated a few years later when the Italian Socialist Party had to be disbanded in a welter of corruption scandals known as Tangentopoli, uncovered by the Mani pulite investigation. Craxi himself died in Tunisia, unable to return to Italy where he would have been jailed for several convictions.

Consequently, from the beginning of the 1990s his appearances on television became rare: according to many people, the reason for this is a silent ostracism by politicians offended by his revelations about their hidden financial activities, frauds and false claims. When one of his shows was finally allowed to be broadcast by RAI, in 1993, it obtained a record share of 16 million viewers. He was later banned definitively from Italian television.

He currently performs in theatres in Italy and abroad, often with outstanding success.^[1] Grillo's themes include energy usage, political and corporate corruption, finance, freedom of speech, child labour, globalization, and technology. Recently Grillo started to encourage the use of Wikipedia as the future of knowledge sharing, and generally he is a strong proponent of internet freedom.^[2]

Political activism[link]

Beppe Grillo in Bologna speaking at V-Day.

Grillo has spearheaded several national and international political campaigns. On Sept. 8, 2007, he organized a "V-Day Celebration" in Italy; the "V" stood for vendetta, vengeance, and vaffanculo ("fuck off"). During the rally, Grillo projected the names of two dozen Italian politicians who had been convicted of crimes ranging from corruption and tax evasion to abetting a murder. More than 2 million Italians participated in this rally.^[3] Grillo also used this rally to urge Italians to sign a petition calling for the introduction of a Bill of Popular Initiative to remove members of the Italian Parliament who have criminal convictions of any kind from their office.^[4] According to Internet scholars, V–day was the first case in Italian history of a political demonstration developed and promoted via word–of–mouth mobilization on the blogosphere and the social web.^[5]

This was followed by the second V-Day on 25 April 2008, in Turin, S.Carlo square. This V-Day was dedicated to the Italian press and its government financial support; Grillo heavily criticized the Italian press for the lack of freedom; Umberto Veronesi (about his support for incinerators); NATO bases in Italy, the politicians (Silvio Berlusconi had recently been re-elected) and Retequattro, still holding on to TV frequencies already assigned to Europa 7 [2].

Beppe Grillo in Turin during electoral campaign.

On 1 September 2005, thanks to contributions from readers of his blog, Grillo bought a full page advertisement in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica in which he called for the resignation of the Bank of Italy's (then) governor Antonio Fazio over the Antonveneta banking scandal. In October 2005, Time chose him as one of the "European Heroes 2005" for his constant battle against corruption and financial scandals.^[6]

On 22 November 2005 Grillo also bought a page in the International Herald Tribune, again claiming that members of the Italian Parliament ought not to represent citizens if they have ever been convicted in a court of law, even in the first degree of the three available in the Italian system.^[7] His blog now contains a regularly updated list of members of the Italian Parliament who have been convicted in all three degrees, in what he calls "operation Clean Parliament".^[8] Grillo claimed, in 2007, that data suggested that even Scampia, the most dangerous suburb of Naples and one of the areas with the highest crime rate in Europe, actually had a lower crime rate than the Italian parliament's membership.^[9]

On 26 July 2007 Grillo was permitted to speak to the members of the European Parliament in Brussels, where he drew attention to the dangerous, negative state of current Italian politics.^[10]

In August 2008, Grillo was the subject of a report on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC-TV) international affairs program "Foreign Correspondent". Titled "The Clown Prince" the report profiled Grillo's life, political activism, V Day campaign, and use of the internet as a political tool.^[11]

In 2010, he started a political movement called "Movimento 5 stelle" ("Movement five stars"), without the desire to be a leader and to be elected, but only to join, by the Internet, people who believe in ideals like honesty and direct democracy, and saying that politicians are only subordinates of the people and that they should work for the country only for a short time and only if they are not condemned for crimes, and thinking about the problems of their country without any other interest. The movement will be truly a party chance only from the next political round, when they will purpose their name not only in some regions but also in the political elections. The five stars represent the five basic points of the shared program: Water, Environment, Transport, Connectivity, Growth.

Beppegrillo.it[link]

Grillo maintains a blog (available in Italian, English and Japanese) at beppegrillo.it which is updated daily. Comments to posts regularly top the thousands (in the Italian version). According to Technorati, the blog is ranked among the 10 most visited blogs in the world. In 2008, The Guardian ranked Grillo's blog among the world's most powerful blogs.^[12]

Grillo often receives letters of appreciation and support from prominent figures, such as Antonio Di Pietro (former Italian Minister of Infrastructures), Fausto Bertinotti (former President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies), Renzo Piano, and even Nobel Prize Winners (like Dario Fo, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Dalai Lama, Muhammad Yunus).^[13]

Legal issues[link]

In 1980 he was found guilty of manslaughter for a car accident in which he was the driver; three passengers lost their lives.^[14]

During his shows Grillo never hesitates to name firms and personalities he considers corrupt, always supporting his views with data and documents^{[citation needed]}. For this reason he has been sued several times for libel by many people and organizations which he had exposed, such as Telecom Italia.

When Italian judges were investigating the Parmalat scandal, which was then the world's largest corporate bankruptcy scandal ever, Grillo was called to testify as he anticipated the imminent collapse of the dairy conglomerate in one of his shows. When he was asked by judges how he has been able to discover that, he simply said that Parmalat's financial holes were so evident that anybody who had enough ability to see them would see them, since the corporate accounting was easily accessible.^[15]

Criticism[link]

Grillo is often criticized for his lifestyle. In particular, critics blame him for owning a motor yacht and a Ferrari sports car, both being in contradiction with his well known ecologist stance. In his blog he admits that he did, in fact, acquire both but has since sold them.^[14]

Grillo is also criticized for taking advantage of the Condono Tombale, a fiscal amnesty granted by the first Berlusconi government in 2001, which Grillo publicly opposed.^[16] Grillo commented on this issue during the V-Day demonstration. He said that he had personally benefitted by only €500^{[citation needed]}.

Grillo has proposed that members of the Italian Parliament who have a criminal record should be barred from public office. As Grillo himself has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter caused by a car accident^[14] his critics^[who?] say he has no right to represent Italians either. Grillo has always stated that he is not interested in becoming a member of the Italian Parliament anyway.^[14] Despite this, in July 2009 he publicly expressed his intention to present himself as a candidate for the PD's primary elections^[17] which, however, does not imply automatic presence in the Italian parliament.

Another proposal of his is that members of Parliament be limited to two government terms of office after which they might not stand again. Detractors^[who?] argue that this would shorten the political life of competent and expert politicians, usually drawing Alcide De Gasperi, Aldo Moro and Enrico Berlinguer as examples of brilliant politicians who served more than two terms. Marco Travaglio replied that, for that sake, also the political life of much less popular Clemente Mastella would have suffered.^[18]

Grillo is criticized as being a mere demagogue who attacks politicians on superficial issues and their private lives while unable to provide a valid alternative. For instance, Daniele Luttazzi, famous Italian satirist, criticized Grillo in 2007 in an open letter published on the website of the news magazine Micromega. Luttazzi accused Grillo of being a "demagogue" and a "populist", suggesting Grillo to choose between satire and politics, asserting the two are incompatible.^[19]

In 2007 Grillo criticized the "Memorial Day of Foibe Massacres and Istrian-Dalmatian exodus" and the President of the Italian Repubblic Giorgio Napolitano^[20]

Filmography[link]

Grillo has appeared in three movies:

• Cercasi Gesù (1982)
• Scemo di Guerra (1985)
• Topo Galileo (1987)

In 2008, Grillo featured in the documentary, The Beppe Grillo Story, produced by Banyak Films for Al Jazeera English.

References[link]

External links[link]

Official websites[link]

• The English version of Beppe Grillo's personal blog
• Beppe Grillo's fans meeting map around the world

Other resources[link]

• 'Time' article about Grillo
• 'New York Times' video about Grillo
• 'New Yorker' Beppe’s Inferno

Manuela Di Centa

Di Centa (left) in 2008.
Personal information
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1963-01-31) 31 January 1963 (age 49) Paluzza, Italy
Height	164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	55 kg (120 lb)
Sport
Country	Italy
Sport	Cross-country skiing
Medal record Women's cross country skiing Olympic Games Gold 1994 Lillehammer 15 km Gold 1994 Lillehammer 30 km Silver 1994 Lillehammer 5 km Silver 1994 Lillehammer 15 km pursuit Bronze 1992 Albertville 4 x 5 km Bronze 1994 Lillehammer 4 x 5 km Bronze 1998 Nagano 4 x 5 km World Championships Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 x 5 km Silver 1993 Falun 30 km Silver 1993 Falun 4 x 5 km Silver 1995 Thunder Bay 30 km Bronze 1991 Val di Fiemme 5 km Bronze 1991 Val di Fiemme 30 km Bronze 1995 Thunder Bay 5 km

Manuela Di Centa (born January 31, 1963) is an Italian cross-country skier and former Olympic athlete. She is the cousin of former track and field athlete Venanzio Ortis and the sister of cross-country skier Giorgio Di Centa.

Career[link]

Di Centa, born in Paluzza, province of Udine, to a family of Nordic skiers, made her debut on the Italian national team in 1980 at the age of 17, skied with the G.S. Forestale. Two years later, she competed at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo finishing in eighth place. After a quarrel with the president of the Italian Skiing Federation, Di Centa left the national team, not returning until 1986.

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, she finished sixth in the 20 km freestyle. She won her first medals in international competition at the 1991 World Championships in Val di Fiemme: a silver (4 x 5 km) and two bronzes (5 km, 30 km). An Olympic medal followed in 1992, a bronze in the 4 x 5 km. In 1993, at the Falun World Championships, she won two more silvers (30 km, 4 x 5 km). At the 1995 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, she won another silver (30 km) and a bronze (5 km).

Di Centa also became Italian national champion in fell running in 1985, 1989 and 1991.^[1]

Di Centa seemed confined to the role of the eternal second, but this changed abruptly at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, where she medaled in all five cross-country events: two gold, two silver and one bronze medal. The same year she also won her first aggregate Cross Country Skiing World Cup, a feat she repeated in 1996.

In 1996 she was the first Italian cross country skier to receive the Holmenkollen Medal. Her last title was a bronze at the 1998 Winter Olympics in the 4 x 5 km.

After retiring, Di Centa worked for Italian television (RAI), and became a member of the Italian and International Olympic Committees.

Di Centa became the first Italian woman to climb Mount Everest (with supplementary oxygen) in 2003.

Di Centa is the first Italian woman (and the 19th Italian) to compete at five Olympics, which she did from 1984 to 1998.

Her younger brother Giorgio is currently a member of the Italian national cross country ski team and was the winner of two gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

2006 Winter Olympics[link]

As a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and as one of Italy's most accomplished Winter Olympic athletes, Di Centa played a prominent public role in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. She was one of the eight flag bearers during the Opening Ceremonies. At the Closing Ceremonies, she participated in the awarding of medals to the winners of the men's 50 km cross-country race. Coincidentally, the gold medal winner was her younger brother Giorgio Di Centa.

Politics[link]

Manuela Di Centa, who has been vice-president of the National Council of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) until 2006, is also involved in politics and is a member of the Chamber of Deputies for Forza Italia.

See also[link]

• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games

References[link]

External links[link]

• Manuela Di Centa at the International Ski Federation
• Holmenkollen medalists - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file (Norwegian)
• Official website (Italian)