THE VILLAGE AND THE SURROUNDINGS
The small village of Vencò is located at the crossroads between the Judrio and Reca valleys, under the watchful eye of the small church of Santa Halaena perched on the top of a hill. It is one of the six villages that, together with Dolegna, give life to a treasure of history, beauty and atmosphere in a patch of just 13 square kilometers characterized by vineyards and woods, namely the Collio Goriziano.
The territory
The Collio Goriziano is a territory to be discovered. Seven roads wind through the town of Dolegna and lead the traveler to discover a unique landscape. On the one hand, the vast areas of wood that allow total immersion in the native flora and on the other the vineyards, whose soil consists of marl and sandstone, is ideal for the production of excellent wines..
The 1,500 hectares of vineyards in the Municipality of Dolegna are crossed by a path that from Brazzano is wedged between the base of the San Giorgio hill and the Judrio river, called the “Strada del Vino” or The Wine Road. In this area there are over thirty wineries known for their white wines. Friulano, Ribolla giallo, Sauvignon, with and grey Pinot, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Traminer, are the pearls that are born on this clayey soil called flysch, which gives the grapes unique characteristics in terms of acidity, aromas and fragrances.
To these, a selected offer of red wines, such as Cabernet and Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Schiopettino (or Ribolla nera) is added.
The Collio Goriziano: the road of wine and cherries, old castles, votive churches and curiosities.
The green hills of the Collio, rich in vineyards and cherry trees, are dotted with villas, towers and remains of fortifications that refer to the splendor of the Patriarchate and to the ancient families of local fiefs, defined as Margraves. There are two manors, the fortified house of Ruttars with its square tower called Marquardo tower and the imposing castle of Trussio, dating back to 1257. In the same village, the last mill still in operation in the province of Gorizia, whose origins date back at least in the 13th century, it has been grinding wheat for over 100 years, run by the same family. The hamlet of Restocina, on the other hand, is famous for its typical stone houses that reassure the eye with their arched arrangement, with a trend that follows the gentle slopes of the Collio.
In the locality of Lonzano, three evocative moments: the fine 16th-century church of San Giacomo, the Church of the Beatified Virgine of the Rosary, dating back to 1594 and the Frisacco house, where the well-known poet Pietro Zorutti was born and spent his childhood.
More solemn for the long staircase leading to the entrance is the Gothic church of Saint Elena in Mernico, dating back to the fifteenth century.
In this part of the municipality, the Schioppettino bridge marks the territorial border and the gentle hills of vineyards give way to steeper hills full of luxuriant woods. To complete the votive path, the church of Scriò, dedicated to Saint Leonardo of Noblac, patron saint of new mothers and prisoners, the Church of Santa Halaena in Vencò (1891), the Church of Saint Joseph in Dolegna and the Church of Saints Vito and Modesto in Ruttars, dating back to 1866 and built in the same place where a sixteenth-century church once stood.
The ideal outdoors place to be.
Two natural parks, the Bosco Romagno and the Plessiva nature reserve add naturalistic interest to this area of rolling hills facing South that convey a unique sense of peace and tranquility.