Preone
Discovering Preone: a village in the heart of the Friulan mountains
Hello everyone! Today I want to tell you about Preone, a small town with only 258 inhabitants located in a beautiful mountain setting of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. If you love nature and history, you cannot miss the beauty of this alpine village.
Physical geography
Preone is located at an altitude of 460 meters in the Upper Val Tagliamento, in the alpine region of Carnia. The town is located close to the Valcalda-Verzegnis chain of the Eastern Carnic Pre-Alps to the south and represents the first municipality encountered following the course of the Tagliamento river on the right bank.
History
The history of Preone is ancient and fascinating. In fact, human bones and weapons found in the area suggest that the town may have been used as an observation point.
Over time, Preone has undergone various administrative changes. The town was suppressed in 1928 and aggregated to the municipality of Enemonzo, but then re-established as an independent municipality in 1946. Moreover, it is believed that the surname Lupieri originated in Preone.
Monuments and points of interest
Preone is not only a small mountain locality but also a real gem of art and culture. Among the monuments and points of interest in the municipality, we can mention the Museum of Paleontology and Nature Trail, the Paleontological area of the Seazza stream, the Church of San Giorgio Martire, the Arzino stream waterfalls, and the several military positions of the Alpine Wall.
For example, the Museum of Paleontology and Nature Trail is hosted in the Lupieri Palace in Carnic style and exhibits the reconstruction of fossils from the area. The Paleontological area of the Seazza stream, on the other hand, is the perfect place for paleontology lovers, as numerous fossils of various animal species have been found here, including one of the oldest Pterosaurs ever found (the Preondactylus buffarinii).
Society
Demographic evolution
Preone's population has always been contained, and currently, the municipality has only 258 inhabitants. In this regard, there is a constant tendency towards a decrease in population, with a shift from 289 residents in 1961 to 258 in 2011.
Languages and dialects
In Preone, in addition to Italian, the population uses the Friulian language. The municipality is included in the list of Italian municipalities where Friulian language is spoken, under the Deliberation no. 2680 of August 3, 2001, of the Council of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region. The Friulian language spoken in Preone falls within the variants belonging to the Carnic Friulian.
Administration
Lastly, Preone's administration is composed of the mayor and the municipal council, which meet at the town hall. The municipality is part of the Mountain Community of Friuli Collinare and Carnia Occidentale.
Image gallery
I leave you with some breathtaking images of the mountain landscape of Preone and its monuments and points of interest.
Image:museum_preone.jpg|The Museum of Paleontology and Nature Trail Image:seazza_stream.jpg|The Paleontological area of the Seazza stream Image:church_preone.jpg|The Church of San Giorgio Martire Image:arzino_waterfalls.jpg|The Arzino stream waterfalls Image:bunker_preone.jpg|The several military positions of the Alpine Wall
I hope this brief introduction to Preone has piqued your interest and that you can plan a visit to this beautiful Friulan municipality. See you soon!
