A man walks his dog past the Palazzo Ercole, also known as the Painted House, just outside of the Spilimbergo city center, April 17, 2024. The frescoes depict The Abduction of Deianira; Chiron the centaur; the Spilimbergo lineage; two scenes with children and Hercules wrestling the lion. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Midway between the beaches of the Adriatic Sea and the mountainous terrain of northern Italy is the small Italian city of Spilimbergo, home to Europe’s largest natural stream and a center for the creation of mosaic artwork.
In addition, the quaint, rectangular Ancona Church — one of seven in the city — is a peaceful spot to view what is left of the Tagliamento River. On a clear day, the tips of the Julian Alps are visible on the horizon.
Throughout the city, which is 30 to 40 minutes away from Aviano Air Base by car, remnants of frescoes painted on the sides of the buildings are still visible. The Palazzo Ercole, for example, depicts the stories of Hercules and is dated by historians to have been painted in 1519.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, known as the gem of Spilimbergo, awaits visitors on April 17, 2024. The cathedral has undergone restoration since an earthquake shook the city in 1976. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
For many, Spilimbergo is synonymous with an art form that has its roots in antiquity. A 15-minute walk from the city center takes visitors to the 101-year-old Spilimbergo School of Mosaic Art.
On weekdays, it’s possible to walk around and see smaller, more intricate mosaics in the courtyard. An in-depth guided look at the school is offered on the weekends as part the “Discovering Spilimbergo” tour of the city.
Walking the halls of the school during the week, visitors can hear the sound of the students’ crescent-shaped hammers, known as martelline, fracturing the small pieces of stone used in the mosaics.
On the outside of the Church of Saint Joseph and Saint Pantaleon is the wall mosaic “The litanies of the Virgin Mary,” in Spilimbergo, on April 17, 2024. The art was made by the Friuli School for Mosaic Artists. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Mosaic artwork created by students can also be found integrated throughout Spilimbergo along the community playgrounds, on the sides of churches and throughout the monuments.
But the school’s influence has reached well beyond the town over the years, with commissioned work on display in places like Rome and Tokyo. The mosaic lining of the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was created inside the school.
The Ancona Church is a plain rectangular-plan, single-nave church located near the Spilimbergo city center. The church's beauty and view of the Tagliamento have led the locals to call it "the church of lovers." (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
Almost every town in the region has a weekly open-air market, and Spilimbergo is no different. The aromas of fresh bread and cheese and the pungent smell of fish stands fill the streets on Saturday mornings.
After walking across the balance-challenging cobblestone streets and seeing its beauty, I came away convinced that the town belongs on any list of places to see in this bucolic part of Italy.
On the QT
Address: For the mosaic school, Via Corridoni 6, Spilimbergo, Italy; tourist office, Piazza Duomo 1
Hours: Tourist office, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.; closed Mondays. Mosaic school, Monday through Friday from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Guided tours are available on Saturday and Sundays, but must be arranged in advance through the tourist office.
Cost: 2 euros for the tour of the mosaic school.
Information: Phone: +39 0427-2274; Online: eng.vivispilimbergo.it
