Fagagna: The Stork Village Among the Hills and Castles of Friuli

Fagagna: where the storks nest again

On the gentle moraine hills west of Udine, Fagagna is a borgo that seems forgotten by time and by haste. Stone houses with flower-filled balconies, a medieval castle commanding the plain all the way to the Alps, silent lanes where the loudest sound is the beat of wings. Because in Fagagna, storks are very much at home — literally. Here is the seat of Italy's only reintroduction station for the white stork, a project that since the 1980s has brought these birds back to nest in Friuli after centuries of absence. Watching storks glide over the borgo's rooftops, with the Dolomites as a backdrop, is one of those moments that justifies a journey on its own.

What to see in Fagagna

The Oasi dei Quadris and the storks

The Oasi Naturalistica dei Quadris is the heart of the white stork reintroduction project. In this wetland area at the foot of the moraine hills, dozens of storks live permanently alongside herons, mallards and other aquatic species. The visit is free and follows a marked path with observation hides from which to watch the nests — huge platforms of branches built on poles — and the chicks making their first flight attempts in spring. The visitor centre offers information panels, and volunteers are often on hand to explain the project. In spring and early summer, the colony is at its most active.

The Castello di Fagagna

Of the medieval castle, the perimeter walls, a tower and the castle chapel remain, but the real attraction is the panorama. From the hilltop you command the entire Friulian plain: on clear days, the view sweeps from the Julian Alps to the sea, taking in the bell towers of Udine along the way. The path up to the castle winds through a wood of oaks and hornbeams — a perfect twenty-minute walk.

The ancient borgo

Fagagna's historic centre develops along a main street flanked by stone houses with carved portals, inner courtyards with wells and wooden balconies. The church of San Leonardo preserves a cycle of fifteenth-century frescoes, while the Museo della Vita Contadina Cjase Cocèl, housed in a seventeenth-century farmhouse, reconstructs Friulian rural life with original tools, furnishings and documents. It is a small but carefully curated museum that records a world that disappeared only a few decades ago.

The moraine hills

Fagagna is the ideal starting point for exploring the moraine hills of the Tagliamento amphitheatre — an undulating landscape of vineyards, meadows and small woods that recalls Tuscany without the crowds. Footpaths and unpaved roads connect Fagagna to Colloredo di Monte Albano, Moruzzo and San Daniele del Friuli, perfect for walks or cycling outings.

What to eat in Fagagna

The cuisine of Fagagna is that of the Friulian hills, genuine and rooted in the land:

• Soft frico with polenta — Montasio melted with potatoes, served with steaming polenta, the ultimate comfort food of Friuli
• Goose salami — a rare local speciality, made with goose meat and spices following old Jewish recipes
• Pitina — a smoked meat cake from the Carnic valleys, served sliced like a cured meat or grilled
• Colli Orientali wines — Ramandolo (DOCG passito), Picolit, Schioppettino and Refosco: Friuli's great reds and dessert wines are produced just a few kilometres from here

The trattorie in Fagagna and the surrounding borghi offer generous fixed-price menus — starter, first course, main, dessert and wine — at prices that would be unthinkable in the city.

The Donkey Race

On the first Sunday of September Fagagna hosts the Palio di San Rocco, known as the Corsa degli Asini — a hilarious and wildly popular race between the territory's districts, preceded by a week of festivities with food stalls, music and historical re-enactments. The atmosphere is authentically village-like, with no tourist pretensions whatsoever.

How to get there

Fagagna is 18 km from Udine, reachable by car in twenty minutes via the SP5. It has no railway station, but the SAF bus line connects Udine to Fagagna several times a day. The nearest airport is Trieste–Ronchi dei Legionari (70 km). By bicycle, the hilly roads leading to Fagagna are a pleasure for cyclists, with gentle ups and downs and little traffic.

When to go

April to June for the storks in full swing and the flowering meadows. July is warm but evenings on the hills stay cool. September for the Palio degli Asini and the colours of early autumn. October brings foliage to the moraine hills. Winter is quiet and cold — ideal for those who seek solitude and deserted borghi.