Aviano
| Aviano | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Aviano | |
  Aviano Location of Aviano in Italy | |
| Coordinates: 46°04′N 12°35′E / 46.067°N 12.583°ECoordinates: 46°04′N 12°35′E / 46.067°N 12.583°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Friuli-Venezia Giulia |
| Province | Pordenone (PN) |
| Frazioni | Villotta, Costa, Giais, Marsure, Piancavallo, Castello di Aviano, San Martino di Campagna |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Stefano Del Cont Bernard (from May 27, 2007) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 113 km2 (44 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 159 m (522 ft) |
| Population (December 31, 2004) | |
| • Total | 8,747 |
| • Density | 77/km2 (200/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Avianesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 33081 |
| Dialing code | 0434 |
| Patron saint | St. Zenone |
| Website | Official website |
Aviano (Friulian: Avian), (Davian in Friulian language, Pleif in local dialect) is a n Italian village, comune, of 9,270 inhabitants in the province of Pordenone at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy.
Aviano is based also C.R.O. (Oncological Referral Center) that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cancer research, one of the few in Italy and reference point for the north-east Italian.
Near the town there is also the ski resort of Piancavallo.
History
Although Aviano has been inhabited only since the 10th century AD, evidence of a human presence dates to before the Romans entered the area in 186 BC. Most historians believe that Aviano developed with a commercial center located where present day Aviano is situated and a cultural and defensive center in the castle area. Aviano was a possession of the Patriarchal State of Friuli until 1420, when it came under the influence of the Venetian Republic. Aviano became a part of the Italian State in 1866.
Geography
Although the village is located in the foothills at the foot of the Carnic Prealpi, the municipality extends to an altitude of over 1280 meters above sea level, near the ski resort of Piancavallo and Busa Villotta.
Landmarks
Religious buildings
- The Cathedral of San Zenone (Duomo), built between 1775 and 1832. It has paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries, one of which attributed to Paolo Veronese's school.
- The church of St. Gregory, in the frazione of Castello, with a precious fresco cycle of the Passion of Christ (late 16th century).
- Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte(Madonna of the mountain), built in 1615 on the site of a Marian apparition, was remodeled in the Baroque style.
- Church of Santa Caterina, in the frazione of Marsure, built in the fifteenth century and richly frescoed with scenes from the life of Santa.
- Parish Church of Giais, retains a baroque altarpiece of O. Gortanutti.
- Parish Church of San Martino (frazione of San Martino di Campagna). Guards inside a canvas of Pomponio Amalteo and some wooden works of the seventeenth century.
- Church of San Floriano of the fifteenth century.
Secular buildings
- The remains of the Castle (first half of the 10th century), on a hill nearby the city, including two towers, the mastio and the walls. The latter include the Renaissance-style church of Santa Maria e Giuliana (1589), which houses a precious stone Pietà sculpture by masters from Salzburg.
- The village has a total of 7 Venetian villas protected by the Regional Institute Venetian Villas (IRVV). The following villas are visited upon request: Villa Policreti-Fabris with the adjoining chapel frescoed, Villa Bonassi and Villa Zanussi-Fabris. You must then remember the imposing presence of Villa Menegozzi Brazzoduro dating from the mid-eighteenth century (the interior is decorated with landscape views done with tempera technique).
Natural places
- In the neighbourhood is the ski resort of Piancavallo, elevation 1,267 metres (4,157 ft) above sea level, at the foot of Monte Cavallo, 2,250 metres (7,380 ft). On one of the peaks of Monte Cavallo is placed a Madonna in bronze by sculptor Pierino Sam Pordenone (1921-2010).
Transport
Aviano has a station on the Sacile-Pinzano Railway: the Aviano railway station, which connects the town of Sacile, on the Venice-Udine railway, to the village of Pinzano, on the Gemona of Friuli-Casarsa railway.
Aviano Air Base
Pre-dating the U.S. Air Force, Aviano Air Base was established by Italy in 1911. The base is considered the birthplace of Italian aviation. There has been an American presence at Aviano Air Base since the end of World War II. In 1954 the Italian and American governments signed a joint use agreement and by 1955, HQ United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) had moved its Italian operations from Udine to Aviano. The base went through a period of hosting rotational fighter squadrons. With the declining use of the Italian live fire range, the rotational squadrons became a thing of the past. Aviano became a war reserve material storage base and played a big part in Desert Storm. In 1992, HQ 16th Air Force and the 401st Fighter Wing moved from Torrejon Air Base, Spain to Aviano. The Wing became home to two F-16 fighter squadrons, the 510th FS and the 555th FS. Both squadrons relocated from Ramstein AB in 1994 and redesignated. The wing was redesignated from the 401st Fighter Wing to the 31st Fighter Wing in 1994 as Aviano took on permanently based aircraft for the first time in over 50 years. The base currently performs a NATO mission with close coordination with Italian personnel.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Aviano is twinned with:
Ashkelon, Israel
Notable People
- Fernando Avian
BlessedMarco d'Aviano(1631-1699), Capuchin friar confessor of Emperor Leopold I of Austria, was born in Aviano, in the hamlet of Villotta.
- Pietro Polo Perucchin (1928), former Italian cyclist naturalized French.
- Fabio Rossitto (1971), former football player in Italia Serie A and in the Italian national team.
- Max Bertolani (1964), former football player and television personality.
- Maurizio Micheluz (1983), professional driver of Enduro.
- Amy Adams (1974), American actress grown for nine years in Aviano; after this experience called the daughter Aviana
- Luca Manfè, winner of MasterChef US season 4
- Fabio Rossitto
External links
- Article on the Italian Wikipedia
- Official Site of the comune
- Aviano 31st Fighter Wing
- Aviano American High School Alumni
- Aviano Blog (Blog about stores, restaurants, and events surrounding Aviano AB)