Vivaro
A province among the mountains of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The province of Pordenone was one of the four provinces of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Located between the province of Udine and Veneto, the province of Pordenone represented a border area between different Italian regions.
The territory of the province was characterized by the presence of mountains, hills, and plains; the Carnic Pre-Alps occupied a large part of the provincial surface and intertwined with the Venetian Pre-Alps, to which the climate station of Piancavallo was connected.
Natural parks and other natural attractions
The province of Pordenone was characterized by the presence of important natural attractions, including the parks of the Friulian Dolomites and the natural reserve of Prescudin forest, the natural reserve of the Cellina gorge, the caves of Campone, and the green caves of Pradis.
In addition, the province had some areas of particular natural interest, such as the sulfur springs of Anduins and the peat bogs of Sequals, while the magredi of San Quirino represented an example of particular geological formation.
Rivers, lakes, and valleys
Among the most important rivers of the province were the Tagliamento, Livenza, Cellina, Meduna, and Noncello. Among the most prominent lakes were Lake Barcis, Lake Ravedis, Lake dei Tramonti, and Lake Cà Selva.
Furthermore, the province of Pordenone was crossed by numerous valleys, including Val d'Arzino, Val Cosa, Val Tramontina, Val Colvera, Val Cellina, Val Cimoliana, and Val Settimana. In some cases, these valleys also presented a particular tourist interest, such as the Vajont Valley.
The brief history of the province
The province of Pordenone was established in 1968, detached from the province of Udine, of which it constituted a district since 1964. The provincial capital was Pordenone, a city that gave its name to the local regional decentralization unit and which today is the seat of the district of state administrations.
Throughout its brief history, the province of Pordenone experienced several moments of economic and cultural growth, also thanks to its strategic position between different regions and the presence of some important infrastructure, including the Aviano airport.
Change of license plate abbreviation
A curious anecdote regarding the province of Pordenone concerns the change of license plate abbreviation following its promotion to provincial capital in 1968. Initially, the planned abbreviation was PO, but this would have created confusion with the province of Parma, which already used it.
Following a request from the municipality of Prato, which wanted to avoid confusion with the PR abbreviation, the Pordenone city council agreed to change the abbreviation to PN, an acronym for "Portus Naonis," the ancient Latin name of the city. Thus it was that PN became the official abbreviation of the province of Pordenone for vehicles passing on Italian roads.
