The best MTB trails around Concordia Sagittaria

The Cathedral of Saint Stephen in Concordia Sagittaria represents a pinnacle of early Christian and Romanesque art in Northern Italy. The current fifteenth-century building, characterized by an imposing isolated bell tower, stands upon a millennia-old stratification of faith and architecture. Outside, the archaeological area reveals the remains of the "Trichora Martyrium" from the 4th century, a trilobate structure built to honor the martyrs of Concordia, surrounded by an immense enclosure of Roman stone sarcophagi. These excavations, located at a lower level than the current street level, offer a unique glimpse into ancient Julia Concordia, a strategic base of the Roman Empire. Inside the cathedral and in the adjacent Byzantine baptistery, exquisite frescoes and mosaics complete a historical mosaic of rare intensity and beauty.

The historic center of Portogruaro, defined as the "little Venice of the mainland", develops elegantly along the banks of the Lemene river. The beating heart is Piazza della Repubblica, where the characteristic pillars of the Gothic brick Town Hall and the unusual leaning bell tower of the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea stand out. Strolling under the long medieval and Renaissance arcades, you can admire frescoed palaces in Venetian style that testify to the city's glorious commercial past. One of the most evocative views is offered by the Mulini di Sant'Andrea, located right in the city center, where the water wheels still turn above waters populated by swans. Here, wrought iron bridges and weeping willows create a romantic atmosphere that harmoniously combines monumental architecture with river vitality.

Gravel road with coarse gravel.

A classic waterworks for the water management of the canals. The waterworks can be approached from four sides and is visible from afar.

The mill now houses a museum spread over three floors, featuring material evidence and information panels where visitors can learn more about the milling process and the activities related to cereal cultivation.

The Belfiore mill was active as early as 1479, but it likely existed for a couple of centuries before that. At its peak, it had five vertical paddle wheels that powered the millstones on the ground floor, while the upper floors of the building housed the millers' families.

The square of Portogruaro

Of the many mills that once existed along the Loncon River, the Belfiore mill is the only one to have retained its original features. The surviving documents date back to the second half of the 1400s, but it is very likely that the original structure predates by at least two centuries. Ownership changed hands over the centuries, until it came into the hands of the Della Pasqua family in 1800. It is currently owned by the Municipality of Pramaggiore. While the modern blades are visible on the outside, inside a beautiful ethnographic museum has been set up, housing both the ancient millstones and the gears of a milling system, as well as some testimonies of rural civilization, from agricultural tools to some everyday objects and furnishings. FAI