Pordenone between Art, Nature and History

Pordenone combines historic buildings, diverse museums and nature-rich places with practical points of reference for planning your trip. Here, you can trace the city’s history through individual buildings, visit collections ranging from art to natural history, and experience the Noncello from different perspectives. Arrival can also be guided by a clearly described route through the city centre.

Historic Buildings and Art in Pordenone

The Palazzo Ricchieri is one of Pordenone’s oldest buildings. It was originally built in the 13th century as a fortified residential tower. In the 15th century, the Ricchieri family enlarged the building into a Venetian palace. Today, the Museo Civico d’Arte displays paintings, drawings, frescoes, wooden sculptures, furniture, and goldsmiths’ and ceramic objects there. The collection ranges from the Middle Ages to the present day, offering several chronological and artistic perspectives within a single museum visit.

The Duomo di San Marco and the city’s museums offer other distinct focuses. The cathedral contains works by Pordenone, Pilacorte and Calderari. Since 2006, the Castello di Torre has housed the Museo Archeologico del Friuli Occidentale. At the Villa Romana di Torre, the archaeological site ranges from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. The mosaic remains and rooms are visible from some distance through the protective railing. This makes the site distinctly different from a museum tour: part of the historic substance is viewed directly at the site and from a distance.

Museums of Natural History and Comic Art

The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Silvia Zenari” contains more than 1,000 exhibits. The exhibition is divided into a general mineralogical section and a section devoted to the minerals of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The vertebrate section includes a mammal gallery, displays of African habitats and a room dedicated to comparative osteology. The topics therefore range from minerals to the structure of vertebrates.

The permanent exhibition of the International Museum of Comic Art represents a different form of cultural organisation. It is divided into 20 sections based on comic formats. These include manga, comic books, bande dessinée and graphic novels. The Palazzo del Fumetto museum is located in the historic villa of the Galvani family, in the city park of the same name. Together, the two offerings expand Pordenone’s cultural attractions to include international comic formats and the history of a specific building.

Riverbanks, Parks and Paths

The Parco fluviale del Noncello is located in the centre of Pordenone and combines historical and natural history interest with river fauna and typical riverside vegetation. At the Riviera del Pordenone and the Imbarcadero, the riverside promenade is fully paved and accessible. Permanent ramps provide access to the river excursions. In the Parco di San Valentino, rare plant species can be observed in natural surroundings, including common enchanter’s nightshade, finger sedge and the Euganean buttercup. There is also a stone icehouse there. Until the 1930s, it was used to store ice for domestic use at the nearby Villa Marchi.

The Parco del Castello di Torre is also relevant for navigating between different parts of the city: cycle and walking paths along the Noncello connect it with the city centre and other districts of Pordenone. There is another specific point of reference for arriving by train. Pordenone railway station is approximately 1 km from the Galleria Harry Bertoia. The completely level route follows Via Mazzini to the beginning of the historic arcades.

Other Places for Orientation

Other destinations you can visit include Vallenoncello, Maniago, Pasiano di Pordenone, Barcis, Erto, Sedrano, Spilimbergo and Aviano.

To the main travel overview: Pordenone.