Poffabro is one of the pearls of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. A village able to protect its particular rural architecture over time. Located in a dream area, full of greenery, in the splendid Val Colvera, is a fraction of the municipality of Frisanco, in the province of Pordenone.
A fascinating place to say the least, which brings back great human activities since the Roman era. At the time it was possible to admire the Via Julia Concordia, directed towards the Alps, which crossed the valley at the foot of Mount Raut. There is no lack of traces of ancient settlements, but if we talk about testimonies, it is necessary to refer to the archives of the bishop of Concordia, which attest to the existence of the village from first half of the 1300.
What to see in Poffabro
The village of Poffabro respects simple architectural rules, protected over the centuries. The houses date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. There are buildings of up to four floors, characterized by limestone pillars that reach up to the top of the roof, which boasts a typical wooden gallery. To this are added closed courtyards, accessible through arches made up of stones and very winding stairways.
What you breathe in the streets of the town, indicated between most beautiful villages in Italy, is the absolute quiet, typical of this valley. Among the places to visit there is certainly the church of San Nicolò, located in the main square. Impossible not to notice its structure, considering how it stands tall on all the other adjacent buildings. It dates back to the seventeenth century and over the years it has undergone various restoration works due to the instability caused by the earthquake.
Getting lost in the streets of the village you can admire the spontaneous architecture of the place, full of raw cut stones and wooden balconies. Structures so solid that not even the 1976 earthquake managed to scratch them.
traditions
One of the traditions that made Poffabro famous is undoubtedly that of "Nativity scene among the cribs". An initiative born in 1997, which transformed the village into a very popular tourist destination during the Christmas period. The whole area comes to life, turning into an open-air nativity scene. Many creations, produced by amateurs and artists.
About a month of shows, from the beginning of December to the beginning of January. In this period of time it is possible to find yourself surrounded by cribs of all kinds, even rich in chocolate and sweets. There are also several characters proposed in the form of statuettes. A great variety that has attracted Italian and foreign tourists every year for more than 20 years.
The streets of the village are full of decorations, including fruit and flowers. Stalls pop up everywhere and I offer various types of delicacies and typical products of the Friulian tradition. A real dream, with Christmas music and well-designed lights to make the atmosphere even more magical.
Typical dishes in Poffabro
It is the poor cuisine that reigns supreme in the gastronomic tradition of the village. Foods rich in aromatic mountain herbs, with the frico which is perhaps the typical dish par excellence, characterized by pan-fried brine cheese. The bravada and muset, turnips in marc with cotechino. To this is added, finally, the pitina, traditional mixture of flavored and smoked minced meat, to be tasted raw or cooked.
Photo source in evidence: "Poffabro: presepio" by Francesco Fabbro is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
