Cercivento
Cercivento: the beauty of Carnia
Cercivento is a small municipality located in the heart of the Carnia mountains, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. With its 652 inhabitants, Cercivento is the ideal place for those seeking a quiet refuge in nature, away from the chaos of the city. The village extends over an area of 15.36 km² and includes both the inhabited areas of Cercivento di Sotto and Cercivento di Sopra, as well as the localities of Vidal, Cjandelin, Fascin and Costa. The municipal territory presents an elevation range of 1,563 m, with a maximum of 2,104 m and a minimum of 541 m. The double confluence of the pleasant Valcalda with the Valle del But makes the landscape of Cercivento truly unique.
The history of Cercivento
Cercivento has an ancient and fascinating history that dates back to Roman domination. According to some theories, the name of the village derives from the Latin "circum ventum", referring to the wind that frequently blows in the area. In Lombard times, Cercivento was the scene of important battles and was chosen as a place to position a military garrison to control the surrounding territory. In 1338, the Pieve of San Martino was founded, which later became part of the archdeaconry of Gorto. In the fifteenth century, due to the plague, the habitation of Cercivento had to move downstream, where the village currently lies. Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, Cercivento experienced a period of great economic prosperity, which resulted in the construction of many of the most beautiful houses in the area, such as the Citars, Tiridin, Morassi, Vezzi and Pitt houses.
The historical events of Cercivento
The economic and cultural growth of Cercivento was unfortunately interrupted by some tragedies related to wars. In 1692, a landslide buried an entire fraction of the village, Centa, and in 1866 the village was occupied by Austrian troops following the Italian defeat in the Third War of Independence. During the First World War, Cercivento was again occupied by Austro-German troops after Italy's defeat at Caporetto. However, the saddest moment in the history of Cercivento occurred on July 1st, 1916, when four Alpini from the 8th Alpini Regiment were shot behind the church of the village, accused of rebellion in the face of the enemy. Their names were Ortis Silvio Gaetano from Paluzza, Corradazzi Giovanni Battista from Forni di Sopra, Matiz Basilio from Timau, and Massaro Angelo from Maniago. Also, during the Second World War, Cercivento was occupied by foreign troops, especially Russian Cossacks and Caucasians loyal to Adolf Hitler.
Cercivento is therefore a place that has known suffering but has managed to rise again thanks to the strength of its inhabitants and the beauty of its territory. Today, Cercivento represents an ideal destination for those seeking peace and tranquility of the mountains, surrounded by untouched nature and the charm of the history that still lingers in the air.
