Grado (Gravo in Gradese dialect, Grau in Friulian) is an Italian town of 8064 inhabitants in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, an important tourist and spa center, also known as the Island of the Sun and, for its particular history, the First Venice.
The lagoon includes around 30 islands. In addition to the main
island, the island of Schiusa, connected to Grado by two bridges, and
the island of Barbana are also permanently inhabited.
Neighborhoods
The capital is located on the main island and is
divided into numerous areas and districts: Gravo vecia (the ancient city
enclosed by the perimeter of the Roman castrum), Borgo de fora, Isola
della Schiusa, Colmata, Centro, Squero, Città Giardino, Valle Goppion -
former Valle Cavarera, Grado Pineta, Primero. Its municipal territory
also includes the hamlets of Boscat and Fossalon.
Basilica of Sant'Eufemia and Baptistery
The early Christian
basilica of Sant'Eufemia was built on a pre-existing church, the small
basilica of Petrus, of which some remains can be seen inside the
building. Construction work began at the beginning of the 5th century
thanks to the interest of Bishop Nicetas and was completed in 579 by
Bishop Elias who dedicated the basilica to Saint Euphemia, martyr of
Chalcedon. The simple, linear and severe style of the building is
enhanced by the exposed light bricks that cover it.
The interior
of the church is divided into three naves by two rows of columns, all
different from each other. The mosaics on the flooring are notable and
extend for 700 m² and testify to the Byzantine influence on Grado due to
the prevalence of geometric motifs. These were restored after the Second
World War but it is possible to see some older tiles, recognizable by
their darker colour.
Once upon a time in the Basilica there was a
stupendous ivory bishop's chair, most likely donated to the city by
Alexandria of Egypt by order of Heraclius II, and whose ivory tablets,
known as Grado Ivories, were lost in the 15th century; the few remaining
are now divided between some important museums, Italian and otherwise.
On the right side of the church stands the bell tower, visible from
a distance thanks to its 42.60 meters of height, surmounted by the
anzolo, a copper statue of Saint Michael the Archangel which indicates
the direction of the wind. This was donated to the city by the Venetians
in 1462.
On the left, detached from the body of the church,
stands the baptistery (5th century), with an octagonal plan, inside
which there is a hexagonal baptismal basin. In front of the Baptistery,
in a small garden, some Roman sarcophagi dating back to the 2nd and 3rd
centuries AD are preserved.
A short distance from the basilica,
at the southern limit of the Roman castrum, the mosaics and masonry
remains of the oldest basilica of the Court, whose first construction
dates back to the mid-4th century, are visible via a system of walkways.
Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie
The early Christian basilica
of Santa Maria delle Grazie overlooks the Campo dei Patriarchi, a few
steps from the baptistery and the basilica of Santa Eufemia. The first
construction dates back to the mid-5th century and is today evidenced by
the mosaic floor of the right nave and the apse, decorated with
geometric motifs. The church was then rebuilt, at a raised level of
about one metre, at the end of the 6th century by Patriarch Elias.
The stone and brick facade is refined by a three-light window. The
three-nave interior has a strong vertical thrust and is divided by two
rows of five marble columns of different origins. In the left nave there
is a wooden statue of the Madonna delle Grazie.
Sanctuary of the
Madonna di Barbana
The birth of the sanctuary of the Madonna di
Barbana dates back to 582, when a violent storm threatened the city of
Grado: the patriarch of the time, Elias (571-588), as thanks for having
saved the city from the storm, had the first church built in place where
an image of the Madonna had been transported by the waters. Since then
the sanctuary, destroyed and rebuilt several times, has been
continuously officiated.
The current sanctuary, which stands on
an island at the eastern end of the lagoon, was built in neo-Romanesque
style and preserves numerous vestiges of the buildings that followed
over the centuries, including two columns which probably date back to
the original church. Inside there are very different works: the main
altar has a relief with the lagoon surmounted by a wooden statue guarded
by an aedicule of the Madonna, a large canvas representing the union of
Venetians in a brotherhood, two Venetian altars dedicated to Saint
Anthony of Padua (right) and Saint Francis of Assisi (left).
Furthermore, near the entrance to the bell tower it is possible to see
capitals and marbles from the early Middle Ages.
The island of
Barbana, which is the destination of a pilgrimage from Grado every year,
is permanently inhabited by a community of Franciscan friars minor and
can be reached in 25 minutes by motorboat, the service is offered by the
"Nuova Cristina" boat from Riva Zaccaria Gregori of Grado.
The lagoon was formed after the 5th century and is divided into a
western sector (the palù de soto), larger and rich in islands, and an
eastern one (the palù de sora), which extends north of the island of
Grade.
Characteristic of the lagoon is the presence of casoni,
simple houses with thatched roofs used in the past by fishermen from
Grado. The fishermen, in fact, remained in the lagoon for a long time
living in these characteristic huts, returning to the island of Grado
only on rare occasions and during the coldest period of the year. The
typical boat of the inhabitants of the lagoon is the batela, with a flat
bottom and operated by oars. The batele were used to reach the fishermen
on a daily basis, recovering the catch and bringing it to Grado for
sale.
The lagoon is rich in tree species (tamarisk, elms,
poplars, junipers and pines), while the fauna presents a notable variety
of birds, including seagulls, egrets, gray herons, mallards and sea
swallows.
Some islands are permanently inhabited: among these,
Barbana has hosted a Marian sanctuary for 1500 years.
The island of Grado offers ten kilometers of beaches with very fine
sand, mainly oriented towards the south and slowly sloping towards the
sea, for a total of 120,000 square meters of beach divided into four
main beaches (Pineta, Spiaggia al Bosco, GIT and Costa Azzurra ). The
westernmost beach is called the French Riviera (known by locals as the
old beach), and ideally continues with the seafront of the dam, about 1
km long and with a curvilinear shape, which, dedicated to Nazario Sauro,
was built by the Austrians to protect the center historic from storm
surges. Access to this beach is free, however there are paid concession
areas, where it is possible to rent deckchairs, sunbeds, umbrellas and
pedal boats thanks to the establishments present. At the end of the dam
there are almost three kilometers of the GIT beach, considered the main
beach of Grado, which offers various differently equipped areas to
satisfy different types of guests; since 1989 it has boasted the Blue
Flag. It is completely exposed to the south, it extends for several
kilometers towards the east, through the entire Garden City until it
exits the town of Grado and joins the "al Bosco" beach. The latter is
located between the Main Beach and Grado Pineta, and is so called
because there are widely trees close to the beach; the seabed is rather
shallow compared to other areas. Most of the beach is concession to
"Campeggio al Bosco", although access to the outside is permitted and
pedestrian entry is free. Between the Bosco beach and entrance 8 of the
GIT beach, there is another equipped bathing establishment, in the Sacca
dei Moreri area. Once the Spiaggia al Bosco is finished, the Spiaggia di
Grado Pineta extends, in which there are various bathing establishments.
Kitesurfing sports activities are often practiced in this area.
The seabed is generally shallow but hosts, a few kilometers from the
coast, numerous trezze, rocky outcrops at around 8-20 meters deep
characterized by the richness and biodiversity of the marine
environments. In 1987, the wreck of the Julia Felix, a Roman ship
wrecked in the 3rd century, was also found in the seabed in front of
Grado.
The storm of October 27, 2012 knocked down the historic
diving board built in the first decades of the twentieth century in
front of the main beach.
El Pardon de Barbana
The main religious tradition of the community
is the Perdòn de Barbana, celebrated on the morning of the first Sunday
of July. It is a votive procession during which a statue of the Madonna
degli Angeli is transported across the lagoon with a suggestive
procession of boats, decorated with flowers, from the Basilica of
Sant'Eufemia to the island of Barbana, where an ancient Marian sanctuary
stands.
The origin of the pilgrimage dates back to 1237, when the
population of Grado vowed to go to Barbana every year as thanks for the
end of a plague epidemic. This request for help demonstrates the
profound veneration of the people of Grado for this Madonna, born when,
according to tradition, she appeared during a storm to help fishermen to
return to safe waters. The event, which begins early in the morning and
is preceded by a day of reflection and celebration (the Sabo grando),
today attracts numerous pilgrims and tourists.
The name Perdòn
instead derives from the tradition of approaching the sacrament of
reconciliation on the occasion of pilgrimage.
Gradese Song
Festival
Popular event that has been taking place since 1946: a
celebratory event of great importance for the Grado community, which has
always been characterized by notable sensitivity in perpetuating its own
singing and musical traditions.
The Varvuole
January 5.
Festive revival of a legend in which witches who came from the sea
kidnapped children.
Summer Carnival
For several years, in the
month of July, the summer carnival has been organized by some local
associations. Floats from all over the region and also from neighboring
Slovenia and Croatia participate in the parade.
Dialect theatre
Distinguished by an increasingly large public following and with a fame
that over time has crossed the borders of the island, the Grado Teatro
association, animated by Tullio Svettini since the early 1960s, offers
texts by local authors (Giovanni Marchesan - "Stiata", Alberto Corbatto,
Onorio Dissette and others) with themes that recall the history and
culture of Grado.
References in culture
The seaside resort is
mentioned in the song Scalo a Grado by Franco Battiato, released in 1982
in the album L'Arca di Noè.
It is also mentioned in the song
Giulio by Roberto Vecchioni, from 2019, dedicated to Giulio Regeni, a
native of the nearby town of Fiumicello.
Boat excursions on the islands of the lagoon.
Beach life in summer
in the city's beach clubs.
By plane
The closest airport is Ronchi dei Legionari (TRS),
connected daily with Rome and Milan and with other important European
cities such as London or Munich.
Public bus transport (APT)
directly connects the airport to the center of Grado.
Outside the
airport you can take a taxi or rent a car, but if you don't have much
luggage the bus is a good way to get to the Golden Isle.
By car
The island can be reached from only two directions: from Aquileia
(Palmanova motorway exit) via a road that runs on an artificial
embankment that cuts across the entire lagoon arriving directly at Grado
centre, or from Monfalcone passing through the outskirts of Staranzano,
San Canzian d'Isonzo and Fossalon di Grado. In this case you arrive at
Grado pineta, where all the campsites and the golf course are located.
On the train
Grado is not reached by the railway line; nearby the
two most important stations are Monfalcone and Cervignano. Both are
connected to Grado by local public transport (bus).
The historic center is almost entirely pedestrian and the major car
parks are decentralized. The ideal way to get around is therefore on
foot, leaving the car on the outskirts and reaching the center and the
beaches by public transport.
By public transport
Urban
service. Urban trips are more frequent during the seaside period.
By bike
Elektra sustainable mobility. Bicycle or e-bike rental.
Average prices
1 Pizzeria Calypso, Via Galileo Galilei, 14, ☎ +39
0431 84774.
2 Bar Restaurant Antiche Terme, Viale Dante Alighieri, ☎
+39 0431 899111.
3 Ristorante Pizzeria Al Doge, Via Gaetano
Donizetti, 3, ☎ +39 0431 84144.
4 Il Panino pizzeria restaurant, Via
Venezia Giulia, 8, ☎ +39 0431 80020.
5 Trattoria Alla Borsa, Via
Conte di Grado, 1, ☎ +39 0431 80126.
6 Trattoria Alla Laguna, Riva S.
Scaramuzza, 2, ☎ +39 0431 85477.
7 Da Piero pizzeria restaurant,
Localita' Pontile Belvedere, 1, ☎ +39 0431 82098.
8 La Dinette
Restaurant, Riva Giovanni da Verrazzano, 1, ☎ +39 0431 85100.
Average prices
Hotel Fonzari, Piazza Biagio Marin, ☎ +39 0431
877753, fax: +39 0431 877746, info@hotelfonzari.com.
Hotel Friuli,
Via Ugo Foscolo, 14, ☎ +39 0431 80841, fax: +39 0431 80842,
info@hotelfriuligrado.it.
Hotel Abbazia Grado (Hotel Grado), Via
Cristoforo Colombo, 12, ☎ +39 0431 80038, +39 0431 81721, fax: +39 0431
81722, info@hotel-abbazia.com.
Hotel Garni Moreri, Viale dei Moreri
33, ☎ +39 0431 80201, fax: +39 0431 877480.
Hotel Alla Città di
Trieste, Piazza XXVI maggio 22, ☎ +39 0431 83571, fax: +39 0431 83572.
Hotel Cristina, Viale Martiri della Libertà 11, ☎ +39 0431 876448, fax:
+39 0431 877250.
Hotel Europa, Viale Kennedy 3, ☎ +39 0431 80600,
fax: +39 0431 85671.
Hotel Helvetia, Viale Kennedy 15, ☎ +39 0431
80598, fax: +39 0431 82861.
Hotel Merano, Via Vespucci 3, ☎ +39 0431
80628, fax: +39 0431 84858.
Hotel Regina, Via Caprin 19, ☎ +39 0431
81000, fax: +39 0431 80655.
Hotel Carol Grado, Via Ugo Foscolo 13, ☎
+39 0431 80745, fax: +39 0431 82755.
High prices
Hotel Savoy,
Via Carducci 33, ☎ +39 0431 897111.
Grand Hotel Astoria, Largo S.
Grisogono 3, ☎ +39 0431 83550, fax: +39 0431 83355.
Hotel Diana, Via
Verdi 3, ☎ +39 0431 82247, fax: +39 0431 83330.
Hotel Hannover,
Piazza 26 Maggio, ☎ +39 0431 82264, fax: +39 0431 82141.
Hotel
Helvetia Grado, Viale Kennedy 15, ☎ +39 0431 80598, fax: +39 0431 82861.
Hotel Villa Venezia, Via Venezia 6, ☎ +39 0431 877118, fax: +39 0431
877126.
Hotel Fonzari, Piazza Biagio Marin, ☎ +39 0431 877753, fax:
+39 0431 877746, info@hotelfonzari.com.
Campsites
1 Isola del
Paradiso campsite, Isola Volpera, ☎ +39 0431 82061.
2 Villaggio
Turistico Belvedere Pineta Camping Village, Località Belvedere, ☎ +39
0431 91007. 4-star hotel
3 Europa tourist village, Via Monfalcone,
12, ☎ +39 0431 80877. 4-star hotel
4 Residence Punta Spin, Via
Monfalcone, 10, ☎ +39 0431 80732.
5 Camping Al Bosco, Provincial Road
19, n. 4, ☎ +39 0431 80485.
Pharmacies
1 Comunale, Via Colombo 14, ☎ +39 0431 80895.
2
Madonna di Barbana, Via Marina, 1.
3 Summer Branch of the Municipal
Pharmacy, Via del Capricorno, 8.
4 Madonna di Barbana Summer Branch,
Viale Kennedy, 34/36.
The territory of the municipality of Grado extends
between the mouth of the Isonzo and the Adriatic Sea and the lagoon
of the same name which covers an area of about 90 square
kilometers and goes from Porto Buso to Fossalon. The capital is
located on the main island and is divided into numerous areas and
districts: Gravo vecia (the ancient city enclosed by the perimeter
of the Roman castrum), Borgo de fora, Isola della Schiusa, Colmata,
Centro, Squero, Città Giardino, Valle Goppion - former Cavarera
Valley, Grado Pineta, Primero.
The lagoon includes about 30
islands and covers an area of about 90 square kilometers. In
addition to the main island, the island of Schiusa, connected to
Grado by two bridges, and the island of Barbana are also permanently
inhabited. In the hinterland, the hamlet of Fossalon, a fertile
agricultural area obtained with reclamation in the first half of the
20th century, and Boscat are part of the municipality of Grado.
Valle Cavanata, near Fossalon, has been a protected nature reserve
since 1996.
The climate is pleasantly temperate,
with averages ranging from 4 ° C in January to 25 ° C in July.
In 1873 a maritime hospice for children called Ospizio Marino
was established in Grado, following the requests of the doctor
Giuseppe Barellai who found in the climate and environment of the
island a favorable place for the treatment of some childhood
diseases.
Subsequently Grado was the chosen destination for
marine thermal treatments, especially by the Austrian population;
psammatotherapy (sandblasting) has developed and spread and the
standards in the sector have reached very high levels.
In Roman times the city, known as a Aquae Gradatae, was
the port serving Aquileia and Castrum, the first for ships entering
the Natissa from there. At the time, the territory of Grado was
crossed by an important Roman road, the Via Gallica.
Grado
developed around 452, when many inhabitants took refuge on the
island to escape the hordes of the Huns led by Attila.
In
568, following the invasion of the Lombards in Friuli, the patriarch
Paolino, bishop of Aquileia, transferred the seat of the
Patriarchate of Aquileia there. Grado grew in population and
therefore acquired a prominent political and religious role,
testified by the construction of the majestic basilicas of Santa
Eufemia and Santa Maria delle Grazie, both from the end of the 6th
century. The lagoon island was fortified, took the name of Nova
Aquileia and remained within the Byzantine domains, while the rest
of Friuli, including Aquileia, was under the control of the
Lombards. In 662 the duke Lupo, after having attacked and plundered
the city, brought the patriarchal treasure back to Aquileia.
In 875 Grado was threatened by Dalmatian pirates and was saved with
a naval battle that took place in the waters in front of the island
and which was won by the Venetian fleet under the command of
Giovanni Partecipazio. The conflict with Aquileia re-exploded in
1024 when the Aquileian patriarch Poppone had his men attack and
plunder. At the same time the emergence of Venice as the dominant
center of the Venetian lagoons marked the slow decline of the
island.
Starting from the 12th century, the patriarch of
Grado himself (who in 1451 will become, even in his name, patriarch
of Venice) moved his residence to the basilica of San Pietro di
Castello, in Venice. Grado then became a poor fishing village, and
so it remained in the following centuries, belonging to the Dogado,
the narrow strip of land that stretched from the Po delta to Grado
and almost to Monfalcone: a set of lagoons, sandbanks, canals and
courses of water directly administered by the city of Venice and
which assured the Serenissima direct control of a large part of the
upper Adriatic coast, but almost without penetrating the mainland.
With the treaty of Campoformio (1797) and the end of the
thousand-year-old Venetian Republic, Grado became part of the
dominions of the house of Austria which, except for the brief
Napoleonic interlude, retained possession until 1918. In June 1810 a
handful of British soldiers landed on the island and dispersed the
French garrison.
In the second half of the 18th century the
tourism industry of Grado began to take its very first steps. In
1873 a marine hospice for minors was inaugurated, in 1892 the first
bathhouse and four years later the first hotel. In a few years Grado
became one of the most famous seaside resorts of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire; new hotels and villas were built in the
area overlooking the sea, while in 1910, to encourage the influx of
vacationers, the railway section for Cervignano was opened. In those
years Grado, which was administratively dependent on Gorizia, was
equipped with the current dam with a promenade and the
characteristic internal port.
On May 27, 1915, three days after Italy entered the First World
War, Grado was occupied by the troops of the Royal Army. The town,
thanks to its strategic position, became an important hub of the
rear of the nearby front; moreover, thanks to its proximity to
Trieste it became one of the bases of the torpedo boats of the Regia
Marina. At the seaplane base of Grado, on the island of Gorgo, the
2nd Seaplane Squadron was stationed from 17 January 1917 until
November. In the spring of 1917 the 253rd Squadriglia was
established and will remain until 30 October 1917, the date on which
Grado was abandoned by the Italians following the defeat of
Caporetto. At the end of the First World War the island, which
despite the proximity of the front was substantially spared from the
war, was annexed to Italy.
On the edge of Aquileia, in the
Belvedere area where the land is interrupted and gives way to the
lagoon, it was possible to embark to reach the island of Grado.
Subsequently there was a tourist and urban development and in 1905 a
road was built in the middle of the lagoon to connect the two parts
of the territory.
In 1936 Grado was definitively connected to
the mainland through the construction of a swing bridge which put an
end to the isolation of the island. A rapid urban expansion,
accompanied by reclamation and water containment works, has
therefore considerably expanded the size of the town, which now also
extends to the nearby island of Schiusa.
The local sporting scene is made up of a vast network of clubs. The
oldest team from Grado is the Ausonia Rowing Society whose athletes have
achieved numerous awards, including at world level.
The football
team is Gradese Calcio (formerly U.S. Gradese), a team that has
repeatedly played in the Eccellenza championship in the past. Currently,
in the 2021/2022 sports season, they play in group C of the first
regional category.
Furthermore, a sport that is very popular in
Grado is five-a-side football. The 2006 Grado (no longer existing)
participated in the national Serie B championship for consecutive
seasons (2008/2009 and 2009/2010).
As regards basketball, after a
couple of seasons in higher categories, the Grado Amateur Basketball
Association restarted its rise in regional basketball in the 2007/2008
season from the promotion category. He currently plays in Serie D.
As regards martial arts and table tennis, the A.D. has been active
since 1981. Pol.Sakura-Grade. Of the two sections of Sakura, the karate
and martial arts section has achieved competitive goals at an
international level, winning European and world titles on several
occasions in both karate and Okinawa Kobudō.
As far as water
sports are concerned, Grado Pineta is a very important destination for
kitesurfing. The shallow seabed and the absence of waves are highly
appreciated characteristics that attract practitioners of this sport
from all over Europe. The particular geographical position prominent
towards the sea offers favorable exposure to windy currents such as the
bora, summer thermal flows and disturbance winds.