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The Province of Pordenone: A Friendly Overview
The Province of Pordenone, also known as "province di Pordenon" in Friulian and "provincia de Pordenon" in Venetian, was a province of Italy in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, established in 1968 after being separated from the province of Udine. Although it was abolished as a local institution on September 30, 2017, the Province of Pordenone still remains a district of state administration and is classified by the National Institute of Statistics as a "non-administrative supra-municipal territorial unit."
Physical Geography
Located between the province of Udine to the east and Veneto to the west, the Province of Pordenone is bordered in the north and northeast by Carnia and does not have any outlets to the Adriatic Sea like the other provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. However, its territory includes part of the Carnic Pre-Alps, with the Friulian Dolomites to the north, a hilly area, and a part of the Friulian plain (upper and lower Friulian). Moreover, the climate station of Piancavallo, located in the south near the Venetian Pre-Alps, at the border with Veneto, is of particular interest.
Valleys
Among the principal mountain valleys in the province, we find Val d'Arzino, Val Cosa, Val Tramontina, Val Colvera, Val Cellina, Val Cimoliana, Val Settimana, Valle del Vajont, and Val Zemola.
Hydrography
The main rivers and lakes in the province are Tagliamento, Livenza, Cellina, Meduna, Noncello, Lake Barcis, Lake Ravedis, Lake Tramonti, Lake Cà Selva, Lake Cà Zul, and Lake Vajont.
Environment
Among the natural attractions of the Province of Pordenone, we find the Magredi di San Quirino, Torbiera di Sequals, Anduins Sulphurous Springs, Green Caves of Pradis, Campone Caves, Natural Park of the Friulian Dolomites, Forest Reserve of Prescudin, Natural Reserve of Cellina Gorge, and Magredi.
History
In 1964, a "circondario di Pordenone" was established within the province of Udine. In 1968, Pordenone was promoted to the capital of the province, with the expected automobile license plate to be PO. However, at the request of the Prato city council, the secretary of the municipality went to Pordenone to ask for a change of the license plate since all other possible plates had already been used. The Pordenone city council accepted, and thus the license plate was changed to PN, an acronym for "Portus Naonis," the ancient Latin name of the city.
In conclusion, although the Province of Pordenone has been abolished, its territory remains a place of great historical and naturalistic interest, where one can discover the beauty of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
