While riding on the FVG Bike Trail that traverses the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region of northeast Italy, I thought about my grandfather, who was from Veneto. Like so many Italians after World War II, he migrated west to Turin in search not so much of fortune as of a job. But like most migrants, he remained deeply attached to his roots. He said Piedmontese Toma cheese wasn’t as good as Asiago, and Barbera wine wasn’t as good as a fine Valpolicella. Yet, when I asked him which grappa was better, the one from Veneto or the Friulian, a question that might seem frivolous, but isn’t in those parts, he answered clearly: “I prefer the ones from Friuli, they’re smoother, unlike the Friulians themselves, who are tough as nails—only they know what they went through with that damned earthquake.”
The people of Friuli call that devastating earthquake—which destroyed much of the region 50 years ago—after a rocky giant named Orcolat. Featured in traditional folk tales, Orcolat lives in the bowels of the mountain and when he stirs, the earth trembles. And when he stirred on May 6, 1976, Orcolat devastated Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, claiming nearly a thousand lives and razing entire villages.
Amid scenes of destruction, on one of the few walls still standing amid the rubble, an inscription in block letters appeared: “Friuli is grateful and will not forget.” Those few words encapsulate the strength and determination of a people, because the Friulians did not merely rebuild after the earthquake, they transformed its wound into a model of rebirth. And to mark the 50th anniversary of that immense tragedy, the organizers of this year’s Giro d’Italia printed the “Friuli is grateful….” phrase on the maglia rosa—specifically for the Gemona–Piancavallo stage, as the town of Gemona del Friuli bore the brunt of Orcolat’s rage.
It is this interplay of air currents that gives Friulian wines a minerality and freshness that make them recognizable from the very first sip.
Also commemorating the anniversary is the FVG Bike Trail, a non-competitive cycling tour route, which changes every edition and this year passes right through Gemona. There’s an old saying that suggests getting lost is the best way to get to know a place; but the modern one says, follow a trail mapped out by someone who truly knows the area to get the most out of the experience of discovery.
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