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1 A day as a Top Gun in Friuli Venezia Giulia Friuli Venezia Giulia is dedicating a unique tourist product in Europe to all those who have difficulty in keeping their feet on the ground. In flight with the Frecce Tricolori which is a short break package allowing participants to discover the secrets of the world s most famous air acrobatic team, which will be presented during the next Italian Tourism Exchange (BIT) scheduled to take place in Milan from February 21 st to 24 th, The programme agreement was signed between the Friuli Venezia Region and the Air force General Staff, and is currently in the operational stages to transform what only a few months ago was a simple idea into reality. The project which enjoys a regional contribution of 150 thousand euro, will bring the air base of Rivolto in the province of Udine, to create a series of infrastructures necessary to enable tourists to take advantage of the various activities proposed. In particular there will a spectators grandstand, with a platform for distinguished guests, a new control centre, safety signs, enclosures and descriptive tables and other accessories. All tourists who choose to take part in this offer, will have access to a series of reserved areas in the Rivolto Air Base, enabling them to follow a daily programme for Italy s Top Gun professionals, from stages of dressing to briefing, moving on to discover the aircraft s secrets and equipment. The agreement between the Region and the Military top brass, besides being a novelty for Turismo FVG in 2008 also marks a historical passage for Italian Armed forces. In fact, with this project, the Military Air force is opening itself up to the outside world, setting up a series of advisory activities which will allow visitors to see for themselves the contribution the Air force is offering, even in terms of technological growth and especially in the aerospace field.

2 Twelfth night rekindles Friuli Venezia Giulia s Celtic traditions. In a land that has been crossed over by far-away cultures and by ancient historic passages like fire, Epiphany has become an important crossroads for those traditions with a mysterious charm. Illuminated by gestures whose roots are buried in Celtic and early Christian recollection, the rituals carried out in Friuli Venezia Giulia during Epiphany tell of emotions which have never stopped being part of Friulian tradition. The darkness of twelfth night, has been transfixed in a firmament of a propitiatory bonfire known as pignarûi, which is the heritage of an ancient Celtic tradition. Tarcento is the nerve centre of this ritual of fire, and is a small town known as the Pearl of Friuli, where the Pignarûl is the longest-awaited moment of the year. Preparations begin on January 5 th, when the pignarulârs set up the woodpiles and pyres, waiting to receive the blessed fire from the Venerable elder drawn from the brazier outside the parish church. The sacred flame illuminates the village streets, and is followed by the spectacular burning carriage race, where various hamlets will try and overtake each other giving life to the Palio dei Pignarulârs. This festive climate accompanies the wait for the more solemn moment, which is represented by the lighting of the Pignarûl Grant alongside the prophecies of the venerable sage. Cividale del Friuli, the ancient Forum Iulii and the Longobards first Duchy in Italy, celebrates the Broadsword mass on January 6 th, which is a religious ceremony which recalls the imperial investiture of the Patriarch Marquardo von Randeck. The sword, which is the same one used to seal the bestowal of the patriarchal fief upon von Randeck back in 1366, and has become the symbol of the secular power which passed from the hands of the Emperor to the Patriarch. To identify more closely with this myth, Cividale proposes a spectacular historical pageant, with a procession of protagonists all in period costume who are ready to cross the town s streets and squares to the sound of medieval music and settings. Not too far away, in Gemona del Friuli, the Epiphany mass of the Tolar is celebrated, with beginning with a day of entertainment, music and dance in period costumes. The ceremony of the Tallero begins with a long historical procession which accompanies the town s mayor to the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta, where the town s most important citizen offers a silver Tolar as a gift to the dean, as a sign of submission of secular power to spiritual power.

3 Friuli Venezia Giulia: a sweet discovery In the middle of the 19 th century, the young empress Sissi, who had recently taken the Austro-Hungarian throne, came to visit Miramare castle. To welcome her, the Triestine people created a new dessert, which they called the presnitz. If typical gastronomy is reflected in its traditions and in the history of a territory, other stories and delicacies await those gourmets who dream of an itinerary with which to discover Friuli Venezia Giulia s sweeter flavours. A journey amongst the dessert temptations of the most Central European region in Italy could not but start with the gubana which is probably the most well known ovenbaked product in Friuli. Already included in the Touring Club s gastronomic guide as early as 1931, it is a sweet made of raised dough, in the shape of a spiral snail shell, filled with raisins, nuts, pine nuts and candied fruit. From the same mix, strucchi are also produced and have the same area of production as the gubana, localised in the Natisone Valleys and in Cividale. These morsels of puff pastry filled with white nuts, pine nuts, vanilla, sugar, grappa or liqueurs which are then fried in boiling oil, are usually served during the more important celebrations. The Friulian Epiphany coincides with the time of the pinza which is a focaccia made of maize flour with pine nuts, dried figs and raisins which should be tasted together with a glass of mulled wine. Another typical sweet eaten during celebrations is the buiadnik, a dessert from Resia, based on cream, apples or pears, dried figs, raisins and dried fruit. From Carnia we also have the famous S shaped biscuits Esse di Raveo, prepared with flour, butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and aromatised with lemon or marsala. Even though it is of more recent origin, the BiscottoPordenone fully expresses its territory with wheat and maize flour, sugar, course almonds, margarine, egg yolks, natural aromas and yeast. To this, a sprinkling of Nonino s 45 distillate and a pinch of course salt is added, which give it its very special fragrance. From the 16 th century buildings in Pordenone to the Central European settings of Trieste and Gorizia, the shop windows continue to offer us sweet proposals such as the putizza, which is a layer of dough filled with dried fruit; the presnitz, prepared using the same ingredients as the putizza but having a characteristic circular shape; the favette, which are sweets which have a white almond base, coloured with liqueurs and aromas. And for those looking for a sweet in every dish, the cjarsons should not be missed, delicious ravioli or agnolotti filled with a unique mixture of flavours which can be both sweet and savoury raisins, dried fruit, jam but also herbs, cheese and a sauce based on smoked ricotta and melted butter.

4 Friuli Venezia Giulia s conference offer in its new Sales Guide An instrument which is able to communicate the strong points offered by Friuli Venezia Giulia s conference package. This is the identikit behind the Friuli Venezia Giulia Sales Guide, a new sales guide dedicated to the conference market. The publication which was created by TurismoFVG, brings together 53 regional offices, which have been certified according to the quality parameters set out by the Federcongressi, and which are intended to welcome all different types of meetings and conferences. Each facility has been catalogued by type (Congress centres, Hotels with conference rooms, Historical residences, Institutional headquarters, Universities, Fair centres, Theatres, Open-air venues, Buildings for small meetings) and is presented with a technical description supplied with room plans and an ample photographic display. As well as this, the guide has an exhaustive list of services linked to conference tourism such as PCO, communications agencies, translations, outfitting, hostesses, technical and audiovisual services, catering, transport and tourist guides. Presenting Friuli Venezia Giulia s plus-points as a conference destination as a strategic position in the centre of Europe, facilitated in its internal and external connections and with its wide availability of modern facilities equipped with vanguard services the Sales Guide also offers a wide overview of possible excursions to undertake either before or after the conference itself. To complete the launch of Friuli Venezia Giulia as a reference point for conference venues, the TurismoFVG Convention Bureau, which is the first of its kind in Italy to promote the entire region, is in the process of setting up a new dedicated website,

5 Eastern cinema lands in Trieste With a schedule of more than 150 titles by some of the most important Central and Eastern European cameramen, the Trieste Film Festival returns with its programme of events from January 17 th to 24 th In fact, it is during the time that Europe s geographical and political borders will be redesigned with the disappearance of the border between Italy and Slovenia, that one of the most important border towns will reopen a window on cinematographic masterpieces from Eastern Europe. Supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region as well as by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Environmental conservation, the celebratory exhibition proposes a rich slideshow of international film previews of both feature films and short films as well as documentaries. Besides presenting the best works created in 2007 in Eastern Europe, the review offers special events, work recognition, a selection of works by a single artist, retrospective exhibitions and tributes. The three sections competing during the festival will, as usual, aim to document and interpret the most significant trends. The international Competition for Feature films will present 12 films in first time showings in Italy, and are widely represented from 10 different European countries. In this particular category, the film Import Export by the Austrian Director Ulrich Seidl, who already competed in Cannes, is particularly evident. Great attention will be reserved for the short film category and for documentaries, István Gaál, one of the most important figures in Hungarian filmmaking will have a wide selection of his works on show. Within the programme, there will be a tribute reserved to those personalities linked to the big screen this year there will be two in-depth investigations into the works of Italo Svevo, an author whose works were particularly well appreciated and filmed, together with the Triestine Tullio Kezich, a journalist and film critic, author, director and producer of great fame.

6 Discover the Water Castles of Friuli Venezia Giulia Two manor houses enclosed in a thousand-year-old medieval hamlet, surrounded by an imposing centuries-old park area crossed over by the crystalline effluent streams known as the Risorgive. This is the backdrop you are presented with if you choose Strassoldo Castle as the venue for your events. Set in a strategic position in respect to the attractions offered by the region s main centres just 10 minutes from the Roman colony of Aquileia, 20 minutes from the beaches in Grado and Ronchi dei Legionari airport, 60 minutes from Venice and Austria this fortified complex is considered one of the most important Water castles in the Friulian risorgive area. The many anecdotes and historical events which have taken place here the site s origins go back as far as the 6 th century, when the twin-towered manor was first cited as being built with the ruins from Aquileia that had been destroyed by Attila contribute in creating a special charm about the place. An ideal backdrop for wedding breakfasts, gala dinners, meetings, conferences and congresses, the venue also offers guests the opportunity of accommodation in the Vicinia, a small building in the military hamlet and originally used by the justice administration, which has recently been completely restored, and which offers two large rooms furnished in 18 th century Venetian style. The more demanding guests can choose to stay in the ancient Tower, where there are two suites of rare beauty. The old mill, on the other hand, is currently being renovated and there will be nine guest bedrooms created here. The military complex, which offers guided tours for groups of at least 20 people, hosts two characteristic events which are connected with each other and in synergy with the two castles. The two events In Spring Flowers, Water and Castles and In Autumn Fruit, Water and Castles, which respectably take place in April and in October offer settings to a theme with the presence inside the manor houses themselves of craftsmen, artists, decorators, antique dealers, hobbyists and nursery workers.