Fanna
The Province of Pordenone: a varied and fascinating territory
The Province of Pordenone was one of the four provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, situated between the middle province of Udine to the east and Veneto to the west. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that, unlike the other provinces in the region, it doesn't have an outlet to the Adriatic Sea. In 2017, it was suppressed as a local government entity, but remains as a district for state administrations in the area.
Physical Geography
The territory of the Province of Pordenone included a portion of the Carnic Alps, the Friulan Dolomites to the north, and a hilly and flat part of the Friuli plain. The climate station of Piancavallo, located in the south in the Venetian Prealps at the border with Veneto, is an important destination for mountain hiking.
The main mountain valleys in the province include Val d'Arzino, Val Tramontina, Val Colvera, Val Cellina, Val Cimoliana, Val Settimana, Valle del Vajont, and Val Zemola. The rivers and lakes present are Tagliamento, Livenza, Cellina, Meduna, Noncello, Lake Barcis, Lake Ravedis, Lake Tramonti, Lake Cà Selva, Lake Cà Zul, and Lake Vajont.
Environment
The Province of Pordenone boasts several protected nature areas, including Magredi of San Quirino, Torbiera of Sequals, Anduins sulfur springs, Green Caves of Pradis, Campone Caves, Natural Park of Friulian Dolomites, Prescudin forest nature reserve, Canyon of the Cellina river nature reserve, and Magredi.
History
As early as 1964, a Pordenone district was established in the context of the Province of Udine. In 1968, when Pordenone was promoted to provincial capital, the planned license plate abbreviation should have been PO. However, the city council of Prato took the train and went to Pordenone to plead for a change in the abbreviation, as otherwise they would lose the opportunity to create the province abbreviation with the name of the capital city. The Pordenone city council agreed, and so the abbreviation was changed to PN, an acronym for "Portus Naonis," the ancient latin name of the city.
In summary, the Province of Pordenone was a varied and fascinating territory in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, characterized by mountains, hills, and plains. It had numerous mountain valleys and watercourses, along with several protected nature areas. The Province of Pordenone was suppressed as a local government entity in 2017, but continues to exist as a district for state administrations in the area. Its license plate abbreviation PN is derived from the Latin name of the capital city, "Portus Naonis."
