The Friuli-Venezia Giulia region is well known for its art villages, some of which have been listed as World Heritage Sites, as well as for its gastronomic tourism, with a wide range of local specialities, and winter and summer sports.
Archaeological digs in the region have traced the Jewish presence back more than two millennia, as witnessed by the epitaph written for one of the Jewish inhabitants of Aquileia. Museums in some of the towns in the region preserve this ancient presence, such as the archaeological museum in Cividale. Parts of buildings such as an old synagogue have been found in Cormons. The link between the Jews and the region is not just architectural and cultural.
Great families such as the Morpurgos achieved great success in the manufacture of silk and wax in Gorizia. They also made their mark in other commercial fields in Gradisca d’Isonzo. The Luzzattos of San Daniele del Friuli were also prominent in the cultural sphere. Intellectual activity was also encouraged by the richness of the region in this area, which didn’t wait theRenaissance, as did also the University of Udine.
More recently, Jewish life in Trieste remains the most important in the region, with its 20th-century landmarks: the synagogue, the Café San Marco, the Umberto Saba bookshop and the very important Carlo and Vera Wagner Museum.