Faedis
Faedis: History and Geography
Hello friends, today I will talk to you about the Municipality of Faedis, a village of about 1,600 inhabitants located in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The municipality is located 15 km northeast of Udine, and is crossed by the state road 356, halfway between Cividale del Friuli and Tarcento. It extends 20% in the plains, 35% in the hills, and 45% in the mountains.
The village is located near the Julian Prealps, which make it a charming and suggestive place. The valley of the Grivò stream, a fundamental source of sustenance for the development of these places, is one of its strengths.
Human presence in the area dates back to the 21st century BC, as evidenced by the artifacts found in the "Çondar des Paganis" cave on the border between the municipalities of Faedis and Attimis. There are also traces of the presence of Roman civilization - coins and other remains - with the almost certain presence of a villa of a settler at the base of the Colvillano hill and a votive temple where the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Faedis) is currently located in Faedis.
The History of Faedis
From "faêt" meaning "beech forest" in Friulian, in turn from the Latin "fagetum" with the same meaning, Faedis entered history shortly after the year 1000 when the Patriarchate of Aquileia gave permission to Odorico di Auspergh, a Carinthian noble, to build a castle. The presence of the noble family of Cucagna, from which the Zucco, the Partistagno, and the Freschi derived, who, with the construction of castles and villas, practically dominated these territories until the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The history of the last hundred years of Faedis has been characterized by the First and Second World Wars and the Friulian Italian Resistance, with the participation of the Garibaldi Brigades and the Osoppo Brigades which in the summer of 1944 constituted the Free Zone of Eastern Friuli. This experience ended at the end of September with a powerful counteroffensive by the German army that regained the lost territories a few months earlier and took revenge by burning houses, deporting, and killing many people.
Precisely in these territories, a few months later, precisely on February 7, 1945, the Catholic partisans of Francesco De Gregori were captured and killed by the communist gappists led by Mario Toffanin in what is known as the Porzûs Massacre.
After the war, the stages of the rebirth passed through the first free elections, the choice between Republic or Monarchy (Republic 1534 votes - Monarchy 973 - Blank Ballots 208 - Null 40) and the elections for the constituent assembly, which saw the Christian Democracy as the winner.
Conclusions
Here we are at the end of our brief journey to discover Faedis. Between its history and its geography, this municipality of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is in a strategic position, near the Julian Prealps and crossed by some of the tributaries of the Torre River.
The history of the village has been very troubled, marked by wars and resistance. Today, Faedis is a peaceful and charming place, perfect for those who want to relax and immerse themselves in nature, but also for those who want to discover the history of this splendid Italian region.
