From the wounds of the earthquake to a model of rebirth that has become exemplary, a journey
by rail between reconstructed villages, cities of art and landscapes ranging from
mountains to the lagoon
2026 brings Friuli-Venezia Giulia back to one of the most painful dates in its history: 6
May marks the fiftieth anniversary of the 1976 earthquake, which hit hard
the middle Tagliamento valley and over one hundred towns between the provinces of Udine and Pordenone. A
that first devastation followed, on September 15, a new violent seismic event that
caused further destruction. The victims were 965, but from that tragedy also a
reconstruction model destined to become a national reference: the Friuli Model.
The 2026 historic train project, promoted by the
Region with the FS Foundation and FS Italian Tourist Trains: a travel calendar that unites the
slowness of the vintage convoy, the strength of the landscape and the places which, after the earthquake, are
become symbols of rebirth. For Italian Traditions, this initiative represents
a unique opportunity to observe Friuli from a different perspective.
The way you move around also gives strength to the project. Vintage trains, pulled by
historic steam or electric locomotives depending on the race, bring back to the centre an idea of
journey different from the contemporary one. The protagonists are the carriages “Centoporte” of the
1930s, recognizable by the numerous side doors. Boarding these convoys
means entering a railway dimension of times gone by, in which the train is not only the
means of reaching a destination, but an integral part of the experience.
Gemona del Friuli is one of the central stops on this itinerary. Marked deeply by the
1976 earthquake, today presents itself as a city where the memory of the destruction
lives with the quality of reconstruction. The heart of the visit is the historic center, collected
around the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, among the most important examples of architecture
Romanesque-Gothic of the region, carefully reassembled stone by stone.
Venzone represents another key hub on the route. The fortified village, almost
completely destroyed by the earthquake, it was rebuilt “as it was and where it was”. The Cathedral of
Sant’Andrea, the fourteenth-century walls, the moat and the cemetery chapel of San Michele, note
even for the famous mummies preserved naturally, they accompany the visitor inside a
place where reconstruction is not distinguished from the rest, but has become its identity.
The journey then expands to Cividale del Friuli and Palmanova, two destinations that
they tell another face of the region: that of artistic heritage and urban planning
historical.
In Cividale del Friuli the focus of the visit is the Lombard Temple, recognized
from UNESCO in 2011 within the serial site “The Lombards in Italy. The places of power”.
A small 8th-century building on Natisone, it is one of the symbols of the city, from which one continues
in the historic center between the Devil’s Bridge, the Cathedral, the museums and the Celtic Hypogeum.
In Palmanova, however, you enter one of the most famous fortress cities in Europe. Heritage
UNESCO since 2017, the starry city can also be discovered on foot, along paths that lead
towards Piazza Grande, the heart of the city. The Bastions Park and the Ring of Fortifications
they accompany the visitor to discover the city’s defensive system, made up of bastions,
monumental galleries and gates.
Among the places that deserve attention is also Osoppo, an emblematic area of reconstruction.
The Fort, recovered after the earthquake, required a complex restoration work of works
defensive, tunnels, ditches, entrenchments and casemates. Overlooking the Tagliamento, the fortress
adds an additional dimension to the route, linked to a history that goes from ancient times to
to the most recent military events.
Alongside the individual stages, a broader vision of the territory also emerges. Historic trains do not
they connect only the towns most affected by the earthquake, but cross a Friuli-Venezia Giulia made
of different landscapes: from the mountainous and hilly areas of the interior, with centres such as Magnano in
Riviera, up to border towns such as Trieste and Gorizia, passing through villages and lagoon areas.
It is in this interweaving of places that the journey offers a more complete picture of the region.
The 2026 season began on April 12 with the Spring Festival Train, inaugurating a
calendar that will accompany travelers until December 20th. Among the first are
appointments, on May 2nd with the historic Alpine Train “of reconstruction” towards
Pinzano al Tagliamento and on May 3rd with the UNESCO City Train headed to Palmanova
and Cividale del Friuli. Among the dates on the calendar, on September 15th the Historical Train of the memory of the
earthquake will connect Gemona del Friuli and Pordenone, in memory of the second great
1976 earthquake.
Several runs include guided tours at no additional cost, extending the experience beyond
the railway movement. For updates and details on individual thematic trains you can
consult the official regional tourism portal, while tickets are available for purchase
through the FS Foundation’s sales channels.
Fifty years after the earthquake, these itineraries are not limited to recalling a page from the past,
but they rediscover Friuli-Venezia Giulia, an often underestimated but large region
wealth, along a path that is composed stop by stop.