Portobuffolè

The history of Portobuffolè goes back a long way. A former river port and trading centre, the town was rebuilt around the year 1000 and then fortified, before it was occupied by the Venetians in 1339 when it became a distribution hub for merchants travelling between Venice and Germany.

The structure of the 16th-century historic centre still remains. Start from Via Businello, where you'll find the third-century house of Gaia da Camino, before walking down to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II dominated by the large public buildings dating from the Venetian era: the 14th-century Dogana, Monte di Pietà which dates back to the late 15th century, the municipal Loggia dating from the 16th century and finally the Cathedral, built in the late 15th century on the site of a synagogue, following the expulsion of the Jewish community. Through Porta Friuli (1513), a beautiful tree-lined avenue leads to the village of Barcaroli, a place of quarantine for goods and travelling merchants, where you can also see the ruins of the 15th-century Battuti hospital

Among the main events, every two years at the end of June is the "Portobuffolè, XIII century" historical re-enactment, when the village streets are lined with tables of medieval dishes, flag-bearers and villagers in costume. Also worth mentioning is the fair of St Rose, held at the end of August. Our advice is to sample the traditional dish: tripe, served with some local wine.