PORTOGRUARO

A Glimpse of Venice on Terra Firma 

Positioned just over a hundred kilometers from Venice, by the River Lemene, is Portogruaro, boasting a medieval core adorned with palatial buildings that reflect Gothic, Venetian, and Renaissance influences. This city's architecture and ambiance have often been likened to Venice itself, a sentiment echoed by authors like Carlo Sgorlon, who called it "the queen of Lemene...where a Venetian aura is palpable, if not fully Venetian" and Ippolito Nievo, who in "Confessions of an Italian," portrayed a city whose large, spacious homes, flanking the city quarters with grand central windows, mirror Venice, only distinguished by the absence of water.

Portogruaro is not only celebrated for its historical and architectural heritage but also as the birthplace of futurist artist Luigi Russolo, whose works, including the renowned "Automobile in corsa," now grace Paris's Centre Pompidou. The city honors Russolo with a theater and a permanent gallery in Palazzo Altan Venanzio. The Museo Nazionale Concordiese, among the first museums established in Veneto post-Italian unification, showcases artifacts from the ancient Iulia Concordia colony and its environs. Music, too, finds a special place in Portogruaro, where Lorenzo da Ponte, Mozart’s librettist, once resided, and the city annually hosts the International Festival of Chamber Music, celebrating performances in its most stunning locales.